[{"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The end is closer than the beginning . Ron -LRB- Rupert Grint , left -RRB- , Harry -LRB- Daniel Radcliffe , second from right -RRB- and Hermione -LRB- Emma Watson -RRB- in the new film . Harry Potter and his friends at Hogwarts are now in their sixth year of seven at the school . They 've seen a lot of changes , particularly as the influence of the reawakened Voldemort -LRB- that is , He Who Must Not Be Named -RRB- has made itself known . And the movie series itself is now nearing its conclusion . '' Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince , '' which comes out Wednesday , is likewise the sixth movie in the series based on J.K. Rowling 's seven Harry Potter books . There is one benefit to having such history , director David Yates says : Pretty much everybody going to see `` Half-Blood Prince '' is familiar with the characters , whether through the books or the movies . `` We made a decision -- we kind of crossed a line , actually , I think , on this movie , where we said , ` You know , this is the sixth one in the series ; it 's the most popular franchise probably in history ; do we stop and explain things to the audience who may have not seen any of the others ? ' And we said ` no , ' '' Yates said . `` And you know why ? It 's because they can always go back to DVDs . They can go back to the books . '' Indeed , many fans know the books -- and the movies -- backward and forward . Interactive : Harry Potter 101 '' The new film reflects the growth of the characters : Harry , the orphaned boy wizard who has been forced to take on responsibilities beyond his youthful years ; Ron Weasley -LRB- Rupert Grint -RRB- , his red-haired best friend , who is finding depths of courage in himself he was n't aware of ; Hermione Granger -LRB- Emma Watson -RRB- , the bookish and indispensible member of their clan , who has demonstrated key leadership qualities ; and all the rest , preparing for the showdown with the archvillain Voldemort . Watch the Potter cast answer your questions '' Among the returning performers : Michael Gambon as Dumbledore , Alan Rickman as Snape , Maggie Smith as McGonagall , Robbie Coltrane as Hagrid and Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort . One addition is Jim Broadbent , who plays Horace Slughorn , a former professor brought back to Hogwarts . Watch the stars at the rainy premiere '' Despite the growing darkness , there 's also a lightness to the new film , says Daniel Radcliffe , who plays Harry . Unlike the previous two movies in the series , which were rated PG-13 , this one is rated a more family-friendly PG . `` I think this film 's funnier , '' Radcliffe said . `` There are a couple of moments which I laughed out loud at . '' Not that it 's going to be a barrel of laughs , Yates cautions . -LRB- How could it , with the snake-faced Voldemort growing ever stronger ? -RRB- `` It is a bit bipolar , '' Yates said . `` On the one hand , there 's all this ... romance , and on the other hand , people are getting killed , and bridges are being blown up . '' Oh , yes , there 's romance . After all , the main Potter characters are all teenagers now , with all the teenage longings . Potter fans have had their own longings . `` Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince '' was scheduled to be released in November but was pushed back to its Wednesday opening after Warner Bros. , Potter 's studio , expressed concerns about putting it out over the holiday season . -LRB- Warner Bros. , like CNN , is a unit of Time Warner . -RRB- Warner Bros. said at the time that the film `` perfectly fills the gap for a major tent-pole release for mid-summer '' and added that the delay was also due to `` repercussions '' from the 2007-08 writers strike . But fans were n't so easily placated , filling message boards with angry comments and starting petitions that garnered tens of thousands of signatures . Warner Bros. . President Alan Horn was even moved to put out a statement assuring fans that the scheduling change `` was not taken lightly . '' Now that the moment is finally at hand , the fans seem to have forgiven the studio . According to Fandango.com , a movie ticket-selling site , `` Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince '' is outselling `` Transformers : Revenge of the Fallen '' at the same point in the sales cycle . It 's also in MovieTickets.com 's top 25 advance sellers of all time . Given that `` Transformers '' is , by far , the year 's top-grossing film , those tidbits ca n't help but make the studio happy . iReport.com : Seeing the latest `` Potter ? '' Share your review The last of Rowling 's Potter books , `` Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows , '' is in production now as two films . That 's given the cast a bit of temporal whiplash when talking about `` Half-Blood Prince , '' since they completed it more than a year ago , but they 've been game to talk . After all , they 've come a long way since `` Harry Potter and the Sorcerer 's Stone , '' way back in 2001 . And they 're aware as anyone of the passage of time -- that they 're closer to the end than the beginning . It 's the kind of situation that leads to sentimental reflections . But Watson , for one , could n't wait to let go of one thing : her school uniform . `` I was like , ` Burn it ! ' '' she told Entertainment Weekly . `` Oh , my God , to be done with those shoes and that uniform -- that was an exciting day . ''", "question": "Which harry potter film comes out wednesday ?", "answer": "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"}, {"story_text": "LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Jon Hamm has a confession to make : He hates his hair . Jon Hamm poses with his partner , Jennifer Westfeldt , at the premiere of '' The Day the Earth Stood Still . '' That may come as a surprise to fans of the actor , whose slick-backed hair is part of his signature look on `` Mad Men '' -- the show that just earned him another Golden Globe nomination for best actor in a TV drama . In the new movie `` The Day the Earth Stood Still , '' Hamm sports a slightly different ` do , with his bangs combed rakishly over one eye . It was in the context of promoting the sci-fi remake that Hamm revealed his tonsorial frustration . `` It 's the bane of my existence . Goofy hair , '' he said in a self-deprecating interview with CNN . `` It never looks good ... It 's a pain . '' Hamm says he 's always worn his hair long , but had to cut it for AMC 's TV series , in which he plays a 1960s Madison Avenue ad executive . He says stylists on the show , armed with hair spray and blow dryers , mold his coiffure into a hard shell . Helmet hair has come in handy at work . `` I 've had a piece of the set fall on my head and my hair did n't move , '' he said . `` I had seven stitches in my head and my hair did n't move . That 's impressive . '' Whether it 's his hair , good looks , acting chops or a combination thereof , Hamm 's star is on the rise in Hollywood . Apart from his co-starring role in `` The Day the Earth Stood Still , '' Hamm recently completed work on the murder mystery `` The Boy in the Box . '' He hosted `` Saturday Night Live '' this fall , he 's due to play Tina Fey 's love interest on `` 30 Rock '' and he continues to receive accolades for his work on `` Mad Men '' -LRB- nominations for an Emmy and a Golden Globe so far -RRB- . How does that make Hamm feel ? `` Exciting is the right way to say it . It 's been a good year . It 's very exciting , '' he said . `` I get to read a lot more scripts . I get to meet interesting people . I get to work with interesting people ... It 's fun to be sort of invited to the party . ''", "question": "actor is appearing in which movie ?", "answer": "The Day the Earth Stood Still"}, {"story_text": "LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The decision to make `` Che '' was an easy one , Benicio Del Toro says . Filming the movie was anything but . Benicio Del Toro stars as Latin American revolutionary Ernesto `` Che '' Guevara . `` I have to say it probably is the most difficult movie I 've ever made , and I 've made a few , '' Del Toro says of his starring role in director Steven Soderbergh 's Spanish-language biopic . One of Hollywood 's most bankable stars , Del Toro has made a name for himself playing dark and brooding characters in movies like `` 21 Grams , '' `` The Usual Suspects , '' and `` Traffic , '' for which he won an Oscar . He now adds to that list the role of revolutionary Ernesto `` Che '' Guevara , an Argentine doctor whose role in the Cuban Revolution in the 1950s vaulted him to cult status where he remains today . To play the Latin American revolutionary , Del Toro says he had to start with the man himself rather than invent a character . He read what Che wrote and interviewed a range of people , including those who knew him when he was a child , as well as those who were there in his last days . And then there were the countless photos of the iconic and controversial leader which he pored over . Looking at the pictures , seeing the attitude that he had in the photographs , '' he says , `` I learned a lot from the photographs . '' The meticulous study pays off on screen . Del Toro delivers a soulful performance that has earned him accolades . He won the Best Actor award at Cannes this year and he is being hotly tipped for another Oscar nod . Which films and actors do you think are contenders for this year 's Oscars ? Share your picks in the SoundOff below . Che 's life `` is what movies are made of , '' Del Toro told CNN . The incredible story , along with the opportunity to work with Soderbergh , who directed him in 2000 's `` Traffic , '' for a second time drew him to the project . The 41-year-old bilingual actor was born in Puerto Rico but grew up in Pennsylvania . It was n't until he was in his early 20s and wandered into a bookstore in Mexico City that he discovered Che . `` I bought a compilation of his letters that he had written to his family and I read that book . I did n't know anything about this guy , so that started my journey , '' he recalls . See how the movie was received in Cuba '' `` Che '' is split into two parts -- `` The Argentine '' and `` Guerrilla . '' When shown in its entirety , the movie clocks in at a staggering 257 minutes . Part one charts Che 's rise from young idealist to revolutionary hero during the Cuban Revolution . Part two depicts his efforts to bring change to all of Latin America and focuses on his campaign in Bolivia , where he died . Shot in various locations ranging from the jungles of Bolivia to Mexico 's Yucatan Peninsula , filming was grueling . `` In this film , we went pretty fast , '' Del Toro says . `` We went really fast . '' Soderbergh wanted to film using only natural light , and production moved rapidly . On some days , Del Toro recounts , they only had 15 or 30 minutes to capture a scene . One day of filming felt like a whole week of work , he says . `` The way I felt on a Monday in this movie is the equivalent to how I felt at the end of the week of another movie . '' Del Toro , who also co-produced the movie , is n't complaining though . He speaks with pride about the effort the cast and crew put in to the moviemaking process , which he describes as `` hit and run . '' `` Che '' is being released in two parts , but the epic is best viewed in its entirety , Del Toro says . `` You 'll get the full experience of what we went through , of the two movies together as one . '' The full-length version of `` Che '' will have a limited opening in the U.S. on Dec. 12 . It is scheduled to be released in separate parts in the UK on Jan. 2 .", "question": "Who is the subject of `` Che '' ?", "answer": "Ernesto `` Che '' Guevara"}, {"story_text": "New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- His was the first face of a missing child to appear on the back of a milk carton . Now , nearly 31 years to the day since Etan Patz vanished from a New York street , authorities are reopening his case . The communications director for Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. confirmed that the office is taking another look at the decades-old mystery . `` It 's a case that the district attorney has been aware of since before running for office last year , '' said Erin Duggan . `` Last summer he said he would take a fresh look at the case if he became district attorney . Tuesday he confirmed that the case had been reopened . '' Duggan added , `` This was the disappearance of a child that gripped the residents of Manhattan and continues to leave many questions unanswered . '' Etan was 6 when he disappeared on the morning of May 25 , 1979 . `` It was the first day that he was to walk two blocks from his apartment to the school bus stop , '' said Lisa R. Cohen , author of `` After Etan : The Missing Child Case That Held America Captive . '' `` He had been wanting to do it by himself , and they gave him permission , literally two short blocks , '' Cohen said . `` And his mother could see the bus stop at the end of the street and she saw parents there , waiting with kids for the bus , and so she let him go . '' Etan was never seen alive again . Jose Antonio Ramos , a convicted child molester , has been identified as a suspect in the disappearance , but has never been charged in connection with the case . According to Cohen , Ramos initially told investigators that he was `` 90 percent sure '' that a boy he had taken home on that day in 1979 was Etan . Ramos has since denied making that statement , she said . Cohen said Etan 's father , Stan Patz , contacted her after the news was announced that the prosecutor was reopening the case . `` He said , ` Maybe we 'll finally get our day court , ' '' she said . From families and detectives to people in the missing children movement , this case changed everything , Cohen said . `` Before Etan , parents did not have an image in their mind that something could happen to their children , '' she said . `` And after Etan , they did . ''", "question": "When did Patz disappear ?", "answer": "May 25 , 1979"}, {"story_text": "NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The agency that owns the space where the World Trade Center towers stood is freeing itself of the term `` freedom '' to describe the signature skyscraper replacing the buildings destroyed on September 11 , 2001 . The One World Trade Center skyscraper is expected to be completed in late 2013 . The change from Freedom Tower was revealed Thursday at a news conference where the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced the signing of the first commercial lease in the building to a Chinese company . The building is expected to be completed in late 2013 . `` We 've referred to the primary building planned for the site as One World Trade Center -- its legal name and street address -- for almost two years now , as well as using the name the Freedom Tower , '' said Stephen Sigmund , a spokesman for the Port Authority , in a statement released to CNN . `` Many will always refer to it as the Freedom Tower , but as the building moves out of the planning stage and into full construction and leasing , we believe that going forward it is most practical to market the building as One World Trade Center . '' Ten of the building 's planned 108 above-ground floors have been built . `` The fact is , more than $ 3 billion of public money is invested in that building , and , as a public agency , we have the responsibility to make sure it is completed and that we utilize the best strategy to make certain it is fully occupied , '' Sigmund added . He noted that the agency lost 84 colleagues in the September 11 attacks . Mary Fetchet , founding director of Voices of September 11th , a group that commemorates the lives of those killed in the attack , said she was not familiar with the decision made by the Port Authority and was not willing to make a statement . New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg , on the John Gambling radio show taped Friday morning , said he was not upset by the Port Authority 's decision . `` It 's up to the Port Authority , '' he said . `` I have no idea what the commercial aspects are , and we can say , ` Oh , we should n't worry about that , ' but of course you have to , particularly now . `` I would like to see it stay the Freedom Tower , but it 's their building , and they do n't need me dumping on it . If they could rent the whole thing by changing the name , I guess they 're going to do that , and they probably , from a responsible point of view , should . From a patriotic point of view , is it going to make any difference ? '' He added , `` one of the things is , we call things what we want to call them . So , Avenue of the Americas is a good example , for it 's Sixth Avenue to most people . Very few people use Avenue of the Americas . If they name this One World Trade Center , people will still call it the Freedom Tower . '' The building was named the Freedom Tower in the first `` ground zero '' master plan . Officials said at the time that the tallest , most symbolic of five planned towers at the site would demonstrate the country 's triumph over terrorism . Representatives of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and Vantone Industrial Co. announced Thursday the signing of a lease that will create the China Center , a 190,810-square-foot business and cultural facility , to be on portions of the 64th floor and the entire 65th through 69th floors of One World Trade Center . Hailing it as a great day for the Port Authority and its partners in the China center , Port Authority Executive Director Chris Ward added , `` this is the first step in a long journey as downtown is finally rebuilt . '' The lease is for 20 years and nine months , beginning when the building is completed , with rents starting at $ 80 per square foot and escalating afterward . The China Center also will have the right to lease up to two additional contiguous floors under the same terms , an option that expires at the end of 2009 . The Port Authority also has commitments for more than a million square feet of leased office space in One World Trade Center from the U.S. General Services Administration and the New York State Office of General Services . Leases for these two public agencies are being finalized . These commitments , coupled with the China Center lease , represent nearly 50 percent of the office space in the building . The China Center at One World Trade Center is expected to represent the elite of China 's business and cultural communities and serve as a hub for Chinese firms developing United States operations , as well as for U.S. companies that wish to conduct business in China or expand operations . One World Trade Center will include 2.6 million gross square feet of office space on 70 office floors , a public lobby with a 50-foot-high ceiling , an observation deck 1,265 feet above ground , a skyline restaurant , a wide array of shopping and parking . The building itself will be 1,368 feet tall , and a spire at the top will bring the total height to 1,776 feet . Beijing Vantone Industrial is one of the first private corporations established in China . Today , the company is one of China 's largest private real estate investment companies with 13 subsidiaries , including one publicly traded company , Beijing Vantone Real Estate Co. .", "question": "What was called Freedom Tower ?", "answer": "One World Trade Center"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Drew Peterson has met with a prominent divorce attorney more than a year after his wife , Stacy , disappeared , his lawyer confirmed to CNN on Tuesday . Drew Peterson 's behavior after his wife disappeared deepened suspicion , but he says she ran off . Peterson , a former Bolingbrook , Illinois , police sergeant , has not filed divorce papers , said his attorney , Joel Brodsky . But Peterson told an author he would look into a divorce after Stacy had been missing for a year . He said he was considering divorce for the sake of their children . `` I can confirm that Drew Peterson did have a consultation with Jeffrey Leving , '' Brodsky said , adding that no divorce papers have been filed . Leving , who bills himself as a father 's rights lawyer , represented Cuban immigrant Elian Gonzalez 's uncle and ultimately helped reunite the boy with his father . Police have said that 54-year old Peterson is a suspect in his wife 's disappearance , which investigators have labeled a `` potential homicide . '' Peterson maintains that his wife , who was 23 at the time of her disappearance , left him for someone else . In an interview in May with Derek Armstrong , author of `` Drew Peterson Exposed , '' Peterson hinted that he planned to divorce her after she had been missing for a year . In Illinois , willful desertion or abandonment is grounds for a divorce after a year . The interview begins with Peterson expressing frustration with the media attention and negative reactions from his neighbors . `` We were talking about the neighbors and how it 's hard to live in the neighborhood with the media trucks around and the neighbors being so difficult , '' Armstrong told CNN . `` I asked if he was going to move , and he said , ` Yeah , when I get a chance , but Stacy 's on the title . ' '' After the one-year anniversary of Stacy Peterson 's disappearance passed , Armstrong said he began to make some phone calls to see whether Drew Peterson was acting on his earlier plans . Armstrong said he called two other prominent divorce lawyers until he reached Leving 's office , which confirmed the meeting . In a phone conversation , Peterson confirmed to Armstrong that he was `` getting information '' and `` exploring options . '' Armstrong pressed Peterson , who responded , `` A desertion . She deserted me . '' Peterson elaborated , `` I 've always said that I 'm mad about that . But I 'm looking into this for the kids . This neighborhood is not healthy for my kids because of Sharon Bychowski . '' Bychowski has been battling Peterson since his wife -- her friend and neighbor -- disappeared in October 2007 . Peterson has accused Bychowski and other neighbors of harassing and threatening him . Armstrong asked Peterson whether he thought news of the divorce might encourage Stacy to contact him . `` I have nothing more to say , '' the former cop shot back . Brodsky told CNN he had not been aware that news of the meeting with the divorce lawyer had become public knowledge . `` We definitely did n't advertise it , '' he said . `` That 's real thorough detective work . -LSB- Armstrong -RSB- could show police a thing or two about finding someone . '' Drew Peterson said he awoke at his suburban Chicago home to find his wife gone October 28 , 2007 . He said she called him at 9 p.m. and announced that she was leaving him , Peterson said . Police confirm that there was some activity on Stacy Peterson 's cell phone about 9 p.m. October 28 , but her family and close friends say she would never leave her two children behind or go away without mentioning it to her family . In the days leading up to her disappearance , Stacy Peterson confided in friends and her sister . She said she was afraid of her husband and wanted to leave him , according to her sister , Cassandra Cales . `` If anything happens to me , he killed me . It was n't an accident , '' Cales quoted her as saying . At 10 a.m. that Sunday , Stacy Peterson failed to show up for an appointment with a friend . Worried , Cales called police Monday , October 29 , and reported her sister missing . The media frenzy and police scrutiny soon revealed that Drew Peterson 's third wife had died mysteriously a few years earlier during a nasty divorce . Kathleen Savio died just before the division of the marital assets was finalized , making Drew Peterson the sole beneficiary . Savio was found in the dry bathtub of her home . At the time , the death was ruled an accidental drowning . But her family continued to insist that Savio died as a result of foul play . The investigation into Stacy Peterson 's disappearance brought renewed interest in Savio 's death . Authorities exhumed Savio 's body , further tests were conducted , and her death has now been ruled a `` homicide staged to look like an accident . '' Some witness statements portray Drew Peterson as jealous , possessive and controlling . He was said to keep such close track of his wife that he frequently called her cell phone and appeared unannounced at social outings to take her home . This caused tension in the marriage , the witnesses told police . Police named Drew Peterson as the prime suspect in his wife 's disappearance in November 2007 . He has not been charged in the case , but he has been charged with illegal gun possession , which could put him behind bars for up to five years if he is convicted .", "question": "When did Stacy Peterson leave her husband ?", "answer": "October 28 , 2007"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- South Korean golfer K.J. Choi has pledged $ 100,000 to the Japan disaster relief fund through his personal charity foundation . The 40-year-old , who won two tournaments on the Japanese circuit before becoming the first from his country to qualify for the U.S. PGA Tour , will give the money to the American Red Cross . `` It is shocking and terribly sad to see what is happening every day in Japan and the difficulty they face in overcoming this disaster . The situation in Japan impacts us all on a global level , '' Choi said in a statement on Friday . `` This is the time for us to join our hands together and do all we can to help our friends in Japan . I have special memories of playing in Japan as it set the stepping stone in helping me to become the first Korean to earn a PGA Tour card . `` Through the K.J. Choi Foundation , I want to implement projects that can attract continuous interest and support to help our neighbors in Japan . '' Choi has followed the example set by Japanese golfer Ryuji Imada , who is also playing at the Transitions Championship in Tampa Bay , Florida . Imada wrote a note on Wednesday stating that he would donate $ 1,000 for every birdie score he makes at the tournament this week , and left copies in the media room and players ' locker area asking for similar contributions . The Hiroshima native , who moved to the U.S. in 1990 at the age of 14 to pursue a career as a golfer , carded no birdies in his opening round of 74 on Thursday but managed two in his 75 on Friday . He was 16 shots behind American leaders Chris Couch and Garrett Willis as he missed the halfway cut along with 19-year-old compatriot Ryo Ishikawa -LRB- 73 -RRB- and seven-time PGA Tour winner Choi -LRB- 75 -RRB- . Spain 's Sergio Garcia made a welcome return to form with a 66 that left him tied for third with American Webb Simpson , a shot behind the leaders . World No. 1 Martin Kaymer was five shots off the pace , tied for 26th in a group including last weekend 's WGC-Cadillac Championship winner Nick Watney . Meanwhile , English golfer Anthony Wall has credited a cheap mobile-phone application for the form which has taken him to the top of the leaderboard at the halfway stage of the European Tour 's Sicilian Open . Seeking to follow up his maiden victory 11 years ago , the 35-year-old carded a bogey-free four-under-par 67 in Friday 's second round to claim a two-shot lead at Donnafugata Golf Resort . He said tips from former European Tour player Tony Johnstone had helped his putting stroke , but an iPhone application about reading greens by noted short-game specialist David Stockton -- who has helped the likes of three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson -- had really paid off . `` That is the best 59 pence -LRB- 95 cents -RRB- I have ever spent because his tips have really simplified a few things for me , '' Wall told the European Tour website . `` I have just been looking at the low side of every putt for the last two days -- really concentrating on the last third of the putt as opposed to the whole putt -- and that has definitely helped me . I have n't holed everything but I have hit my putts a lot better . `` It was a bargain , I have to say -- you do n't get many valuable lessons for 59 pence these days ! The thing about Dave Stockton is that he is and always was an amazing putter , and you tend to listen to those guys a bit more . '' Wall , ranked 206th in the world , is being chased by Australia 's No. 64 Richard Green and France 's Raphael Jacquelin , both on seven-under 135 . Left-hander Green , at 64th the top player in the field , bounced back from a double-bogey at his opening hole to card 67 , with birdies at two of his last three greens . They are followed by a group of five players tied for fourth on 137 , while former European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie was in a bunch of six another shot back after his second successive 69 .", "question": "Who is K.J. Choi ?", "answer": "South Korean golfer"}, {"story_text": "HOLLYWOOD , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Reality television featuring law enforcement officers on the beat is nothing new . A show featuring a lawman who makes jailed inmates wear pink underwear and uses actors to trick suspects , however , is a new twist . Maricopa Co. . Sheriff Joe Arpaio now has his own TV show , '' Smile : You 're Under Arrest . '' Maricopa County , Arizona , Sheriff Joe Arpaio -- whose showy brand of justice has raised charges of discrimination and civil-rights abuses while making him a hero among fans of his tough-on-crime attitudes -- will star in `` Smile : You 're Under Arrest . '' The show , which premiers this weekend on Fox Reality Channel , features Arpaio and other officers using elaborate ploys crafted by comedy writers and carried out by professional actors to arrest suspects with outstanding warrants . In one , a suspect is invited to a fake fashion shoot and told he 's going to become a supermodel , according to Fox Reality 's Web site . In another , a suspect is tricked into what he thinks is a job as a movie extra and , after a staged argument between the film 's `` director '' and another actor , gets promoted to the starring role . `` It 's kind of fun to show how stupid they are and , as I say , the looks on their face , '' Arpaio , 76 , said of the suspects wanted for DUIs , drug charges , missed court dates and other offenses . Watch Arpaio explain his methods '' But Arpaio 's critics are n't amused . They say they fear the show will give the controversial sheriff positive publicity , ignoring what they call a darker side to his 16-year tenure as top lawman in the county that includes Phoenix . `` It 's going to celebrate a sheriff that 's frankly scaring this community , a sheriff that has seen violent crime increase significantly in his county , a sheriff that is racially profiling the Latino community , and I doubt that the show is going to reflect that , '' said Paco Fabian , spokesman for the immigrant-rights group America 's Voice . In a statement on the group 's Web site , Fabian calls Arpaio a `` modern day Bull Connor , '' comparing him to the public safety commissioner in 1960s Birmingham , Alabama , whose use of attack dogs and firehoses on civil rights demonstrators made him a symbol of racial intolerance . Dubbed `` America 's Toughest Sheriff , '' Arpaio makes many of his county 's 10,000 or so inmates live in tents . He reinstituted chain gangs -- including crews for women and juveniles -- banned smoking , coffee and movies in his jails and , most recently , moved to require all inmates with money in their jail accounts to pay for their own meals . And then , of course , there 's the pink underwear . `` They were stealing the white underwear , smuggling the underwear out of the jail , '' Arpaio told CNN . `` So you know what ? Give them pink . The other reason is they hate pink . Why would you give the 10,000 inmates the color they like ? '' Earlier this year , the mayor of Phoenix wrote a letter to the U.S. attorney general 's office , asking the FBI and the U.S. Justice Department 's civil rights division to investigate Arpaio 's aggressive illegal immigration crackdowns . Mayor Phil Brown wrote that Arpaio 's sweeps show `` a pattern and practice of conduct that includes discriminatory harassment , improper stops , searches and arrests . '' The letter came after Arpaio , who had already been the target of hundreds of lawsuits , launched a series of what he calls crime-suppression patrols in largely Latino neighborhoods . Critics say the patrols use racial profiling to unfairly target Hispanic drivers and pedestrians , while Arpaio says they have resulted in the deportation of hundreds of illegal immigrants , including some with criminal records . `` We are the only ones cracking down on the state 's human smuggling law , '' Arpaio said . Fabian said America 's Voice is considering putting pressure on companies that advertise during Arpaio 's show . Either way , the series offers another moment in the spotlight for a lawman who has never shied away from it . `` I 'm not going to brag , '' Arpaio said , `` but there is n't anybody in the world who does n't know who this sheriff is . '' CNN 's Brooke Anderson and Doug Gross contributed to this report .", "question": "What is the name of Sheriff Arpaio 's show ?", "answer": "Smile : You 're Under Arrest"}, {"story_text": "LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Liv Tyler does n't like to be bothered by her agents at night . But it 's a good thing she took their call pitching her '' The Incredible Hulk . '' Liv Tyler plays Betty Ross , a colleague of Edward Norton 's Bruce Banner , in `` The Incredible Hulk . '' `` My agent called me one night ... I had just put -LSB- son -RSB- Milo to bed . It was like 9 o'clock at night , and I always get grumpy with them when they call me really late , '' she told CNN . `` They said , ` Marvel would like to fly you to Los Angeles tomorrow . Will you get on a plane to come and meet for ` The Hulk ' ? And I said I ca n't come tomorrow , but I can come the next day . '' The flight turned out to be well worth it -- though Tyler said she was discombobulated by the speed of it all . `` I went and met with -LSB- director -RSB- Louis -LSB- Leterrier -RSB- and they offered me the part that day , '' she said . `` I was kind of floored because it just happened so quickly and I did n't get to read the script . ... -LSB- But -RSB- it was kind of a no-brainer . '' In the new `` Hulk , '' `` The Lord of the Rings '' actress plays Betty Ross , a former colleague of scientist and Hulk alter ego Bruce Banner -LRB- Edward Norton -RRB- . She said working on the film brought back memories of her childhood watching the TV show starring Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno . -LRB- Ferrigno has a cameo in the new film . -RRB- `` I loved the TV show when I was a kid , '' she said . `` I used to watch it all the time with my mom . It was our favorite show . '' Tyler , 30 , said that she felt a tremendous sense of responsibility to the `` Hulk '' mythology , particularly since a 2003 film on the character met with mixed reviews . Watch Tyler , Norton and Leterrier on the latest `` Hulk '' '' `` Well , a lot of people would say -- even I said -- ` Oh , they 're making `` The Hulk '' ? ' Did n't they do that already ? '' she said . But she added , `` The fans love this so much ... and there 's so much detail to the story , I always feel quite stressed about that , like I really want to do the part justice . ... I definitely feel that responsibility and want to do the best job that I can . '' CNN 's KJ Matthews contributed to this report .", "question": "What movie is Liv Tyler starring in ?", "answer": "The Incredible Hulk"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- Mental Floss -RRB- -- 1 . `` F\u00fcr Elise '' Bob Dylan wrote `` It Ai n't Me , Babe '' for Joan Baez . Written by : Ludwig van Beethoven Written for : Some girl probably not named Elise . In fact , as far as most historians can tell , Beethoven did n't even know an Elise . Instead , the song was originally titled `` Bagatelle in A minor '' based on some handwritten notation a Beethoven researcher claimed to have seen on a now-lost copy of the sheet music . Further complicating things , Beethoven had hideous handwriting -- to the point that some scholars speculate the song was actually written `` for Therese , '' as in Therese Malfatti , one of several women who turned down a marriage proposal from the notoriously lovesick maestro . 2 . `` Philadelphia Freedom '' Written by : Elton John & Bernie Taupin Written for : Billie Jean King , as a thank-you for a tracksuit she gave Elton . And what a tracksuit it must have been ! The 1975 song remains one of the most popular disco hits ever , leaving thousands of Hustle enthusiasts wondering just what Billie Jean King had to do with Philadelphia , anyway . Turns out , the song was a reference to King 's pro tennis team , The Philadelphia Freedoms . Prior to 1968 , tennis players were all considered `` amateurs '' and were n't eligible to receive prize money . So , if you did n't have the wealth to support yourself , you could n't play . Billie Jean King fought against those constraints , ultimately founding Professional World Team Tennis in 1974 and turning tennis into a paid league sport . 3 . `` Lola '' Written by : The Kinks ' Ray Davies Written for : A transvestite . But the question is , which one ? According to Rolling Stone , `` Lola '' was inspired by Candy Darling , a member of Andy Warhol 's entourage , whom Ray Davies briefly -LRB- and cluelessly -RRB- dated . If that 's the case , then `` Lola '' is just another notch on Darling 's song belt -- she 's also referred to in Lou Reed 's `` Walk on the Wild Side . '' -LRB- `` Candy came from out on the Island / In the backroom she was everybody 's darlin ' . '' -RRB- But , in the Kinks ' official biography , Davies tells a different story . He says `` Lola '' was written after the band 's manager spent a very drunken night dancing with a woman whose five o'clock shadow was apparently obvious to everyone but him . 4 . `` 867-5309 / Jenny '' Written by : Jim Keller -LRB- of Tommy Tutone -RRB- and Alex Call Written for : Unknown , as the songwriters apparently make up a different story about its inspiration every time they 're asked . While the woman continues to remain a mystery , however , the phone number is all too real . In fact , it 's been wreaking havoc ever since 1982 and the passage of time has n't quelled of the number of crank calls . In 1999 , Brown University freshman roommates Nina Clemente and Jahanaz Mirza found that out the hard way , when the school adopted an 867 exchange number for its on-campus phone system . Immediately , the girls ' innocuous Room No. 5309 became a magnet for every drunk college kid with a 1980s fetish . Other unfortunate phone customers have fought back with creative and profitable solutions , like the holder of 212-867-5309 , who put his phone number up for auction on eBay in 2004 . Bids approached $ 100,000 before eBay pulled the item at the request of Verizon , the number 's actual owner . 5 . `` Oh , Carol '' Written by : Neil Sedaka Written for : Carole King , naturally . Sedaka and King actually dated briefly in high school -- a romance Sedaka was able to successfully milk with `` Oh , Carol , '' a then top-10 -LRB- if now somewhat forgettable -RRB- 1959 pop song . However , the real success of `` Oh , Carol '' came a few months later , when it inspired King to write a rebuttal entitled `` Oh , Neil . '' At the time , King and her husband , Gerry Goffin , were fledgling songwriters in need of a hit tune . `` Oh , Neil '' was n't that , but it did pay off . After Sedaka gave a tape of the song to his boss , King and Goffin landed jobs at the legendary Brill Building pop music factory , where the duo went on to write chart-toppers like `` Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow '' and `` The Loco-Motion . '' 6 . `` It Ai n't Me , Babe '' Written by : Bob Dylan Written for : Joan Baez , though it clearly was n't the nicest gift Dylan could have given her . The two met in 1961 , when Baez was an up-and-coming folk singer and Dylan was a nobody from Minnesota . Desperate to make his break in the music biz , Dylan worked like crazy to get Baez 's attention . He eventually ended up going on tour with her , which is how he first became famous , and also how the two began dating . For a while , they seemed like the golden couple , but things soon went downhill . During a European concert tour together in early 1965 , they had a huge fight and parted ways . That May , Dylan was holed up in a hotel after being hospitalized with a virus , and Baez , hoping to remain friends , decided to bring him flowers . Sadly , that 's how she found out that her ex was already dating someone else . That someone else was Sara Lownds , whom Dylan married a mere six months later . 7 . `` Our House '' Written by : Graham Nash -LRB- of Crosby , Stills , Nash & Young -RRB- Written for : Joni Mitchell . In December 1968 , Nash and Mitchell moved into a cozy little house in the Laurel Canyon section of Los Angeles . Though commonly left out of the hippy pantheon , Laurel Canyon was sort of a commune-home away from commune-home for San Francisco society -- not just CSN&Y , but also Jim Morrison , the Eagles , Frank Zappa , and more . `` Our House '' was directly inspired by a lazy Sunday in the Nash/Mitchell household . The couple went out to brunch , hit an antiques store , and then returned to find the house just a bit chilly , at which point Nash literally `` lit a fire , '' while Mitchell `` placed the flowers in the vase that she bought that day . '' No , really . The whole tableau seemed so ridiculously domestic to Nash that he immediately sat down and spent the rest of the day writing about it . E-mail to a friend For more mental_floss articles , visit mentalfloss.com", "question": "Which composer wrote `` F\u00fcr Elise '' ?", "answer": "Ludwig van Beethoven"}, {"story_text": "LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Pete Sampras and Roger Federer are two of the modern era 's greatest tennis players . Between them , they have won a staggering 27 Grand Slam singles titles -- and yet , neither player has ever won the French Open . Tennis great Pete Sampras won 14 Grand Slam tournaments but never managed a French Open victory . That legendary players like Sampras and Federer have somehow failed to win at Les Internationaux de France de Roland Garros is just one of the reasons why this Grand Slam tournament holds such a special place on the tennis calendar . The French Open is notably the only Grand Slam event contested on clay -- a factor that separates it from the other three majors , and more than anything else defines the tournament . The layers of crushed brick that constitute the orange-red clay courts of Roland Garros are what brought Sampras -- and still bring Federer -- so much grief . Fellow greats John McEnroe , Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg also failed to win the coveted title . The reason clay may have affected the natural games of these players is because the surface slows the ball and produces a slightly higher , loopier bounce than grass or hard courts . This means the high-power serve of someone like Sampras is negated , opening the way for players with a different style of game . To this extent , the French Open helped create the legend of one of the finest players of all time -- Swedish star Bjorn Borg . Borg won a record six times at Roland Garros . He also won five Wimbledon titles -- but never managed an Australian or U.S. Open crown , both tournaments fought out on hard courts . Describing what makes the French Open so special in an rare one-on-one interview with Indian Web site Rediff.com in 2001 , Borg said : `` It is toughest to win on clay . It is easily the most draining , the toughest Slam . '' Offering advice to Sampras , who was at the time still playing for a French Open title , Borg added , `` I would advise him to concentrate on mental strength , to build it up , to hold that strength over the course of the fortnight . `` Along with that , you also need a great deal of physical strength . And most importantly , you have to believe that you can win on clay . '' It is not surprising therefore , that Spanish players -- who are generally well-accustomed to playing on clay -- have come to dominate the tournament in recent years . Nine of the last 12 French Open finals have featured at least one Spaniard . The tournament is still held in high regard by France 's population . A record crowd of more than 450,000 people came to watch the action at Roland Garros in 2008 , and according to the tournament organizers , it is the most-watched French event in the world . First played in 1891 as a national tournament , it became an international event in 1925 , and in 1928 moved to the Roland Garros facility at Porte d'Auteuil in Paris , where it remains today . Its chosen title , Roland Garros , was the name of a legendary World War One French aviator , who had frequented the tennis venue when he studied in Paris . The 2009 edition of what Borg called `` the toughest Slam '' promises to be just as entertaining and draining as those that have gone before . World number one Rafael Nadal is searching for his fifth consecutive title to usurp Borg 's record of four in a row , which he currently equals . Meanwhile , world number two Roger Federer is looking to avenge three consecutive final defeats at the hands of Nadal . In the women 's draw , the tournament appears wide open . Last year 's champion Ana Ivanovic has slipped to eighth in the world rankings , while the top four ranked players have only one French Open title between them .", "question": "What is the only Grand Slam tennis event held on clay courts ?", "answer": "The French Open"}, {"story_text": "MIDDLETOWN , Connecticut -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The suspect in the shooting of a Wesleyan University student is in police custody , police in Meriden , Connecticut , said Thursday . Police have arrested Stephen Morgan in the shooting death of Johanna Justin-Jinich . A spokesman in Meriden said Stephen Morgan had been in custody there , but was transferred to police in Middletown , seven miles away . No other details were available . An arrest warrant was issued earlier for Morgan , charging him with murder in the death of Johanna Justin-Jinich at a Middletown bookstore on Wednesday . Justin-Jinich was shot Wednesday afternoon at the Red & Black Cafe in Broad Street Books , the campus bookstore , the university said . She worked at the cafe , the cafe said on its Web site . It said that her killing has left employees `` devastated . '' Earlier Thursday , a law enforcement source told CNN that police spoke briefly to the suspect after her shooting death . Morgan was one of several people who gathered Wednesday afternoon outside Broad Street Books after the Wesleyan junior was shot , the source said . He gave his name to investigators who spoke with him , the source said . At that early stage of the investigation , the source said , police had no reason to suspect Morgan . Earlier Thursday , Morgan 's sister had urged him to turn himself in to `` avoid any further bloodshed . '' Diana Morgan told reporters in Marblehead , Massachusetts , that her family was `` shocked and sickened by the tragedy in Middletown . '' She said her family did not know her brother 's whereabouts , but issued a brief statement to him through the media : `` Steve , turn yourself in right now to any law enforcement agency , wherever you are , to avoid any further bloodshed . We love you , we will support you in every way and we do n't want anyone else to get hurt . '' She did not take questions . Before his arrest , police had been worried that Morgan may be targeting Wesleyan University and the town 's Jewish residents . A statement from the university alleges that Morgan had written threats against `` Wesleyan and/or its Jewish students '' in his personal journals . Congregation Adath Israel , Middletown 's lone synagogue , canceled all activities for the next day , said its president , Eliot Meadow . He said police told him that they do not think Morgan is part of a larger anti-Semitic organization . About 200 families attend the synagogue , Meadow said , and he added that Wesleyan , a private university with about 3,000 students , has a substantial Jewish population . While Justin-Jinich was a student at Wesleyan and was Jewish , according to the Middletown mayor , there was another connection between her and her alleged killer , authorities said . Watch how suspect and victim knew each other '' In July 2007 , the young woman filed a harassment complaint against Morgan while the two were taking the same six-week summer course at New York University , school spokesman John Beckman told CNN . The complaint , in which Justin-Jinich said she was receiving harassing e-mails and phone calls from Morgan , was filed with the university 's public safety department toward the end of the course , Beckman said . The public safety department brought in the New York Police Department and after conversations with Morgan and Justin-Jinich , the young woman declined to follow up or press charges , Beckman said . Beckman said the two were not living in the same student residence house during the course . Additional details were not immediately available . Another law enforcement source also told CNN that in an excerpt from one of the e-mails sent to Justin-Jinich , Morgan wrote , `` You 're going to have a lot more problems down the road if you ca n't take any -LRB- expletive -RRB- criticism , Johanna . '' Watch the crime described as ` every parent 's nightmare ' '' Middletown Mayor Sebastian Giuliano said the connection between Morgan and Justin-Jinich may `` go back to Colorado . '' No further details were available . CNN 's Susan Candiotti and Ross Levitt contributed to this report .", "question": "What did the suspect 's sister urge him to do ?", "answer": "urged him to turn himself in"}, {"story_text": "LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The decision to make `` Che '' was an easy one , Benicio Del Toro says . Filming the movie was anything but . Benicio Del Toro stars as Latin American revolutionary Ernesto `` Che '' Guevara . `` I have to say it probably is the most difficult movie I 've ever made , and I 've made a few , '' Del Toro says of his starring role in director Steven Soderbergh 's Spanish-language biopic . One of Hollywood 's most bankable stars , Del Toro has made a name for himself playing dark and brooding characters in movies like `` 21 Grams , '' `` The Usual Suspects , '' and `` Traffic , '' for which he won an Oscar . He now adds to that list the role of revolutionary Ernesto `` Che '' Guevara , an Argentine doctor whose role in the Cuban Revolution in the 1950s vaulted him to cult status where he remains today . To play the Latin American revolutionary , Del Toro says he had to start with the man himself rather than invent a character . He read what Che wrote and interviewed a range of people , including those who knew him when he was a child , as well as those who were there in his last days . And then there were the countless photos of the iconic and controversial leader which he pored over . Looking at the pictures , seeing the attitude that he had in the photographs , '' he says , `` I learned a lot from the photographs . '' The meticulous study pays off on screen . Del Toro delivers a soulful performance that has earned him accolades . He won the Best Actor award at Cannes this year and he is being hotly tipped for another Oscar nod . Which films and actors do you think are contenders for this year 's Oscars ? Share your picks in the SoundOff below . Che 's life `` is what movies are made of , '' Del Toro told CNN . The incredible story , along with the opportunity to work with Soderbergh , who directed him in 2000 's `` Traffic , '' for a second time drew him to the project . The 41-year-old bilingual actor was born in Puerto Rico but grew up in Pennsylvania . It was n't until he was in his early 20s and wandered into a bookstore in Mexico City that he discovered Che . `` I bought a compilation of his letters that he had written to his family and I read that book . I did n't know anything about this guy , so that started my journey , '' he recalls . See how the movie was received in Cuba '' `` Che '' is split into two parts -- `` The Argentine '' and `` Guerrilla . '' When shown in its entirety , the movie clocks in at a staggering 257 minutes . Part one charts Che 's rise from young idealist to revolutionary hero during the Cuban Revolution . Part two depicts his efforts to bring change to all of Latin America and focuses on his campaign in Bolivia , where he died . Shot in various locations ranging from the jungles of Bolivia to Mexico 's Yucatan Peninsula , filming was grueling . `` In this film , we went pretty fast , '' Del Toro says . `` We went really fast . '' Soderbergh wanted to film using only natural light , and production moved rapidly . On some days , Del Toro recounts , they only had 15 or 30 minutes to capture a scene . One day of filming felt like a whole week of work , he says . `` The way I felt on a Monday in this movie is the equivalent to how I felt at the end of the week of another movie . '' Del Toro , who also co-produced the movie , is n't complaining though . He speaks with pride about the effort the cast and crew put in to the moviemaking process , which he describes as `` hit and run . '' `` Che '' is being released in two parts , but the epic is best viewed in its entirety , Del Toro says . `` You 'll get the full experience of what we went through , of the two movies together as one . '' The full-length version of `` Che '' will have a limited opening in the U.S. on Dec. 12 . It is scheduled to be released in separate parts in the UK on Jan. 2 .", "question": "Who portrays `` Che '' on film ?", "answer": "Benicio Del Toro"}, {"story_text": "LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Drug Enforcement Administration agents searched a Beverly Hills pharmacy Friday in connection with the investigation into the death of Michael Jackson , an agency spokesman said . Dr. Arnold Klein denied in a CNN interview last month that he had given Jackson dangerous drugs . The agents executed a federal search warrant at the Mickey Fine Pharmacy and Grill , and were expected to seize pharmacy records , said DEA spokesman Jose Martinez . The pharmacy is in the same building as the office of Jackson 's dermatologist , Dr. Arnold Klein . Shortly before his death , Jackson visited the building several times to see Klein . The store remained open for business , giving journalists who chose to dine at its lunch counter an unusually close look at the searchers at work . Several DEA agents crowded behind the pharmacy counter , shuffling through paper documents , while pharmacy employees stood by to answer questions . Jackson had been sued by the pharmacy , which claimed the pop singer had not paid a $ 100,000 bill , but the dispute was later settled . On Wednesday , the Los Angeles County Coroner 's Office visited Klein 's office . `` We wanted some additional information and they provided it , '' said Ed Winter , coroner 's spokesman . He said Klein 's staff and attorneys cooperated with the requests . The coroner 's office said more than a week ago that a `` thorough and comprehensive '' report into the death of Michael Jackson is complete , but police have requested that it not yet be released because of the ongoing criminal investigation . The coroner 's office said it would abide by the request that `` the cause and manner of death remain confidential , '' and referred all questions to Los Angeles police . The DEA search did not involve detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department , although Martinez said the federal agents would share their findings with them . Jackson 's June 25 death is also the focus of an investigation by Los Angeles police and the state attorney general 's office . Klein , who treated Jackson for decades , denied in a CNN interview last month that he had given Jackson dangerous drugs . CNN 's Ted Rowlands contributed to this report .", "question": "Who was Jackson 's dermatologist ?", "answer": "Dr. Arnold Klein"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An anti-abortion activist charged with gunning down a Wichita , Kansas , doctor can not use the `` necessity defense '' at trial , a judge ruled Tuesday . Scott Roeder , 51 , is set to stand trial January 11 on one count of first-degree murder in the death of Dr. George Tiller , who was shot to death at his church May 31 . Tiller ran a women 's clinic in which he performed abortions . Tiller , 67 , was one of the few U.S. doctors who performed late-term abortions . He had already survived one attempt on his life before he was slain . Under a necessity defense , a defendant argues an action was justified because breaking the law was more advantageous to society than following it . Several anti-abortion activists facing criminal charges have attempted to use the defense but none has been successful . In an Associated Press interview last month , Roeder admitted killing Tiller and said he plans to argue at this trial that the shooting was justified . `` Because of the fact preborn children 's lives were in imminent danger , this was the action I chose , '' he said . '' ... I want to make sure that the focus is , of course , obviously on the preborn children and the necessity to defend them . '' Roeder 's comments prompted prosecutors to file a motion asking Sedgwick County Judge Warren Wilbert to bar Roeder 's attorneys from using the defense . Wilbert noted that the Kansas Supreme Court , in a previous case regarding blocking entrance to an abortion clinic , ruled the necessity defense can not be used when the harm the defendant claims to be avoiding through his or her actions is a constitutional and legal activity , and the defendant broke the law . That precedent , Wilbert said , required him to rule that the necessity defense is not a viable defense in Kansas or in the Roeder case . Defense attorney Mark Rudy pointed out to Wilbert that the defense team has not yet acknowledged what their tactic might be . Roeder , however , filed a 100-page motion on his own behalf , Sedgwick County District Attorney Nola Foulston said Tuesday , on the necessity defense , acknowledging it previously has been unsuccessful . Prosecutors also asked Wilbert to bar Roeder 's attorneys from claiming his alleged actions were justified because he used force in the defense of another -- the unborn . Wilbert said that would require further argument -- particularly an offering from defense attorneys regarding the evidence they plan to present in support of that premise at trial . `` I will leave the door open on the issues surrounding use of force in defense of another , '' the judge said , adding he does not mean it 's `` wide open . '' Under the law , such a defense can only be used if a defendant was preventing unlawful conduct . Foulston argued that Tiller posed no threat that would justify his shooting . `` Dr. Tiller was not an aggressor , '' she said . Roeder is also charged with two counts of aggravated assault for threatening two church members . Dressed in a coat and tie , he conferred with his attorneys and listened intently to the arguments on Tuesday . In a June interview with CNN 's Ted Rowlands , Roeder would not admit that he killed Tiller , but said that if he is convicted , `` the entire motive was the defense of the unborn . '' Roeder 's attorneys also argued Tuesday that the trial should be moved outside Wichita because extensive pretrial publicity in the case could have tainted the jury pool . Foulston , meanwhile , noted that Roeder , who has talked often to the media , brought some of that publicity on himself . Wilbert said 300 jury summonses have gone out in the case , and he was optimistic that some impartial jurors could be found . However , he said he would revisit the issue later if the court experienced difficulty in picking jurors . Rudy also asked that the judge prohibit prosecutors from excluding potential jurors because they have anti-abortion beliefs . The judge said he was confident that some individuals who are anti-abortion would still be able to make an impartial decision , but suggested the issue be examined on a juror-by-juror basis if the court recognizes a pattern of exclusion during jury selection . `` I ca n't make a pretrial ruling and just make a broad-brush approach , '' he said .", "question": "who bars Roeder from using the necessity defense in the doctor 's slaying ?", "answer": "Sedgwick County Judge Warren Wilbert"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The American man who swam to Aung San Suu Kyi 's home in Myanmar said Thursday he still believes he did the right thing , even though his visit led to an extension of the pro-democracy leader 's house arrest . John Yettaw told Aung San Suu Kyi he had a vision she would be murdered . John Yettaw , 53 , swam across a lake to Suu Kyi 's home in May and stayed for two days before authorities arrested him along with Suu Kyi and two of her staff . His presence violated the terms of Suu Kyi 's house arrest -- which was about to expire -- leading a judge to extend it by another 18 months . But Yettaw said he made the trip to Yangon to save Suu Kyi from assassination , and that it was successful . What critics have described as a `` stunt '' brought enough attention to her plight , he said , to ensure that Suu Kyi could not be killed by the country 's ruling military junta . Yettaw said on CNN 's `` American Morning '' that he is `` grateful that she 's alive , grateful that the entire world is watching and there 's no way these generals are ever going to try to assassinate her . '' To many , however , his visit did more harm than good . Some thought he might be mentally ill to attempt what he did -- an idea he rejects , though he says he can understand why people believe it . But Yettaw said he had no idea that Suu Kyi would be arrested and put on trial for something that he would do . `` I wept every day and I 've suffered every day '' because of the punishment she received , he told CNN . He called her sentence `` heartbreaking . '' The case of Suu Kyi , a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who has been the symbol of the country 's opposition for two decades , first came to Yettaw 's attention when he was in Thailand and saw her photograph . `` I instantly had a premonition , or a vision , that I saw myself going through a lake and over a fence and was at a back door of a house , '' he told CNN . `` Then -LRB- I -RRB- Googled from there and realized she lived next to Inya Lake and I got a visa to get into Yangon . And I thought , since this has been presented to me , I 'm going to make this happen . '' The retired bus driver and Vietnam veteran from Missouri told his wife only that he had a premonition he would become a political prisoner in Myanmar . She told her husband not to go , but he went anyway . In November 2008 , Yettaw said , he managed to swim across the lake and leave scriptures from the Book of Mormon for Suu Kyi . But later he had a vision that Suu Kyi would be assassinated , so he decided to make another trip . That was the fateful trip on May 3 . `` The second time that I came was the same route , in through the sewer tunnel and into the water , '' he said . `` But this time of year the water level was much lower and I had two bags filled with a lot of stuff , and so I had to military-crawl with these two bags and I got caught . Two soldiers spotted me . `` Fortunately , by the time they got close to me , I rolled over into the water with my bags which were tied together , and I literally was walking through the water and they were frightened . They , I do n't think , saw me -- they saw this bag floating through the water and moving at a consistent rate , so they started throwing rocks at it . And inside I prayed , ` What do I do ? ' and the only response that I felt , inspiration , was ` keep walking . ' And that 's what I did . '' Yettaw managed to reach Suu Kyi 's house and was able to explain that he had a vision she would be murdered . He said Suu Kyi did n't think he was crazy , and she was `` absolutely '' happy to see him . Yettaw was arrested and convicted of violating immigration laws , municipal laws , and the conditions of Suu Kyi 's house arrest . He was sentenced to seven years of hard labor , though he was freed this month after U.S. Sen. Jim Webb traveled to Myanmar and intervened in his case . After his arrest , Yettaw said , he spent two and a half weeks under armed guard and was subject to interrogation at any hour of the day or night . Suu Kyi was initially sentenced to three years in prison after a military court found her guilty of violating her house arrest , but the head of the junta later commuted it to 18 months of home confinement . Suu Kyi 's two housekeepers , who are her sole companions in her heavily guarded residence , also were sentenced to 18 months of house arrest to be served alongside Suu Kyi . The opposition leader told the court she did n't know Yettaw , was unaware of his plans to visit , and did n't report his intrusion because she did n't want him to get in trouble . Yettaw insists he saved Suu Kyi 's life . He said the ordeal has made him value the rights people have in the United States . `` I 'm so grateful we live in a country where we have freedom of speech , and over there -LRB- in Myanmar -RRB- , where they speak the truth , they 're killed and imprisoned , '' Yettaw told CNN . `` I want you to know that even on our worst day ... the United States is one of the greatest nations in the world . '' Suu Kyi was put under house arrest in 1989 . The following year , her National League for Democracy party won more than 80 percent of the legislative seats in the first free elections in the country in nearly 30 years . The military junta disqualified Suu Kyi from serving because of her house arrest , annulled the election results and refused to step down . The government has said next year 's scheduled elections will reintroduce democracy in Myanmar . But its rules forbids citizens who bore children with foreigners from running for office . That makes Suu Kyi ineligible because she married a British man and has two sons with him .", "question": "Who is the pro-democracy leader ?", "answer": "Aung San Suu Kyi 's"}, {"story_text": "New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- His was the first face of a missing child to appear on the back of a milk carton . Now , nearly 31 years to the day since Etan Patz vanished from a New York street , authorities are reopening his case . The communications director for Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. confirmed that the office is taking another look at the decades-old mystery . `` It 's a case that the district attorney has been aware of since before running for office last year , '' said Erin Duggan . `` Last summer he said he would take a fresh look at the case if he became district attorney . Tuesday he confirmed that the case had been reopened . '' Duggan added , `` This was the disappearance of a child that gripped the residents of Manhattan and continues to leave many questions unanswered . '' Etan was 6 when he disappeared on the morning of May 25 , 1979 . `` It was the first day that he was to walk two blocks from his apartment to the school bus stop , '' said Lisa R. Cohen , author of `` After Etan : The Missing Child Case That Held America Captive . '' `` He had been wanting to do it by himself , and they gave him permission , literally two short blocks , '' Cohen said . `` And his mother could see the bus stop at the end of the street and she saw parents there , waiting with kids for the bus , and so she let him go . '' Etan was never seen alive again . Jose Antonio Ramos , a convicted child molester , has been identified as a suspect in the disappearance , but has never been charged in connection with the case . According to Cohen , Ramos initially told investigators that he was `` 90 percent sure '' that a boy he had taken home on that day in 1979 was Etan . Ramos has since denied making that statement , she said . Cohen said Etan 's father , Stan Patz , contacted her after the news was announced that the prosecutor was reopening the case . `` He said , ` Maybe we 'll finally get our day court , ' '' she said . From families and detectives to people in the missing children movement , this case changed everything , Cohen said . `` Before Etan , parents did not have an image in their mind that something could happen to their children , '' she said . `` And after Etan , they did . ''", "question": "Who was the person to be on a milk carton ?", "answer": "Etan Patz"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Defending champion Alberto Contador has issued an apology after he took advantage of his rival Andy Schleck 's mechanical failure to seize the yellow jersey in the Tour de France . Schleck , who was leading Astana rider Contador by 31 seconds in the overall standings going into stage 15 on Monday , dropped his chain while launching an attack on the day 's final climb and had to stop to repair the problem . Rather than waiting for his rival -- in keeping with the Tour 's sporting traditions -- Contador and a group including fellow contenders Denis Menchov and Samuel Sanchez stole a march to the finish , gaining 39 seconds on Schleck . Contador now leads Saxo Bank 's Schleck by eight seconds in the overall standings , with Spain 's Sanchez two minutes behind the leader in third and Russia 's Menchov two minutes , 13 seconds back . See Contador 's Youtube apology here Spaniard Contador was booed by the French crowd as he was awarded the yellow jersey on the podium and was heavily criticized by Schleck . But after reflecting on the stage , Contador issued a video on Youtube saying : `` The race was in full gear and , well , maybe I made a mistake . I 'm sorry . `` At a time like that all you think about is riding as fast as you can . I 'm not happy , in the sense that , to me , fair play is very important . `` The kind of thing that happened today is not something I like , it 's not my style and I hope my relationship with Andy will remain as good as before . '' Luxembourg 's Schleck , the runner-up to two-time champion Contador last year , was angered by what he saw as a lack of `` fair play '' and vowed to take `` revenge '' on his rival . `` In the same situation I would not have taken advantage , '' Schleck said , AFP reported . `` I 'm not the jury , but for sure those guys would n't get the fair play award from me today . `` I 'm really disappointed . My stomach is full of anger , and I want to take my revenge . I will take my revenge in the coming days . '' In a similar situation in 2003 , Germany 's Jan Ullrich was praised for his sportsmanship after he waited for Lance Armstrong to recover from a collision with a spectator in the Pyrenees . Armstrong then surged forward to win the stage by 40 seconds en route to the fifth of his seven Tour victories . The 187.5 kilometer stage from Pamiers to Bagneres-de-Luchon - the second of four stages in the Pyrenees - was won by French champion Thomas Voeckler after a fine solo ride , finishing nearly three minutes ahead of the race favorites . Voeckler 's triumph gave France their fifth victory in 15 stages .", "question": "Who apologizes for taking advantage of Schleck problem in stage 15 ?", "answer": "Alberto Contador"}, {"story_text": "Beijing -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- China 's former President Jiang Zemin appeared in Beijing on Sunday , the first time he 's been seen publicly since rumors surfaced months ago that he had died . Jiang , 85 , was among many current and former dignitaries attending a ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of China 's 1911 revolution , which led to the toppling of the Qing Dynasty . China became a Communist state in 1949 , under the leadership of Mao Zedong . At the start of the ceremony at the Great Hall of the People , live footage on China 's state-run television showed Jiang for a few seconds as he walked on the stage , closely followed by an assistant . In another segment , Jiang appears to sing along with others during the playing of the Chinese national anthem . Death rumors spur reflections on Jiang legacy Former Chinese premier Li Peng was also in the crowd , among other retired party and government leaders . So were active government ministers , private entrepreneurs and Beijing-based ambassadors from other countries . In the event 's keynote speech , current President Hu Jintao extolled the `` thoroughly modern , national and democratic revolution '' of 1911 . And among other stances , he urged mainland China and Taiwan to work together for a `` peaceful reunification of China , '' according to the state-run Xinhua news agency . Reaching an accord with Taiwan had been one of Jiang 's focuses in his tenure as president , during which he made conciliatory overtures to the island nation including a `` One Country , Two Systems '' proposal . It was one of many efforts he pursued in his time , between 1989 and 2002 , as the general-secretary of China 's Communist Party and , from 1993 to 2003 , as the nation 's president . As China 's ruler , he generally pushed market reforms while working to keep the country politically and socially conservative . China 's economy boomed under his leadership , growing at an annual average rate of over 9 % . China also regained control of Hong Kong in 1997 and Macau in 1999 , while national pride soared in 2000 when Beijing was picked to host the 2008 Summer Olympics . With rare exceptions , Jiang largely has been out of the public eye in recent years . This summer , Chinese authorities dismissed as `` pure rumors '' reports that he was on his death bed .", "question": "who was was China 's president from 1993 to 2003 ?", "answer": "Jiang Zemin"}, {"story_text": "TOKYO , Japan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Toshiba said Tuesday it will no longer manufacture HD DVDs , effectively ending the long-running battle with the rival Blu-ray for a dominant high-definition format . People watch a demonstration of HD DVD at the 2008 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas . Toshiba said it made the decision to cease developing , manufacturing , and marketing HD DVDs after `` recent major changes in the market . '' It promised to continue offering support and service for all existing Toshiba HD DVD products . `` We carefully assessed the long-term impact of continuing the so-called ` next-generation format war ' and concluded that a swift decision will best help the market develop , '' Toshiba President and Chief Executive Atsutoshi Nishida said in a news release . Toshiba 's HD DVD business has been suffering recently with a string of major retailers and rental companies announcing their preference for Blu-ray , developed by Sony . Watch video on the battle of the formats '' Last week alone , Wal-Mart and online rental company Netflix said they would abandon HD in favor of Blu-ray . Last month , Warner Brothers Home Entertainment -- which had been the largest media company releasing videos in both formats -- announced it would offer DVDs solely in Blu-ray . The DVD battle has been reminiscent of the VHS vs. Beta fight in the early 1980s . It has left many consumers confused and waiting to see which technology will emerge as the industry standard . Sony 's Blu-ray is backed by Disney , 20th Century Fox , MGM , Dell , Panasonic , and Philips . Toshiba 's HD DVD is backed by Paramount , Universal Pictures , Microsoft , Sanyo , and NEC . Toshiba said it would continue to work with those companies and study ways to collaborate with them in the future . Tens of billions of dollars have been at stake as major movie studios battled for a dominant format . But rival game consoles have been part of the struggle , too -- Sony 's Playstation 3 plays Blu-ray discs , while the Microsoft Xbox will play HD DVDs if users install an add-on component . Both Blu-ray and HD are high-definition DVDs , the successor to ordinary DVDs which show pictures only in standard definition . But Blu-ray and HD involve different hardware and are not compatible with each other , meaning consumers have had to decide which system to invest in . Both formats have an excellent picture quality with a large storage space . But Toshiba has lost the battle because it lacks a retail presence in many markets , said Carl Gressum , a senior analyst at Ovum , a London technology consultancy . `` They did n't manage to bring on board some of the China vendors , they did n't bring -LRB- on board -RRB- the retailers , they 've failed to develop in the European and Asian markets , '' Gressum told CNN . Warner Brothers announced its decision to drop HD DVD right before last month 's International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas , a significant event for corporate buyers . Gressum said that led to an immediate drop in retail support for Toshiba 's format . Gressum said manufacturers of both formats have made things more difficult for retailers by forcing consumers to make a choice between the gradually-dominant Blu-ray and the much-cheaper HD . `` They 're losing money in many cases because of the price war between the two formats as Toshiba -- and also Microsoft , to a certain extent -- has been playing the price card for HD DVD players , '' he said . Toshiba said the company would continue to market standard DVD players and recorders . E-mail to a friend", "question": "What will Toshiba no longer make ?", "answer": "HD DVDs"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- AOL Autos -RRB- -- With fuel prices still high enough to put a hole in your pocket , where does one turn ? BMW 's MINI division is the best average fuel-economy automaker . For some , it 's a vehicle that 's been engineered to sip , not guzzle . The question then : Which brand is more likely to ease you out of the gas station without feeling you 've been turned upside down and shaken ? Perhaps surprisingly , it 's not always the Asian-based carmakers that come up on top where fuel economy ratings are concerned . A look at the U.S. government 's official fuel economy ratings -LRB- published by the Department of Energy , the Office of Energy Efficiency and the Environmental Protection Agency -RRB- might not be light reading , but it does give a new sense of perspective on what is a very complex issue . One observation : Carmakers are , on the whole , doing a pretty good job of bringing choice to the market when it comes to fuel economy . AOL Autos : Best-selling fuel-efficient cars There may , however , be two races to win : the most fuel-efficient car on the road and the automaker that `` on average '' is most likely to save you money at the pump . AOL Autos : Fuel-efficient used cars for sale On a single car basis , the Toyota Prius comes out on top , its hybrid technology delivering 48 city miles on a gallon -LRB- like other hybrids , its fuel efficiency drops slightly on the highway , to 45 -RRB- . With fuel prices hitting hard , where are motorists more likely to find relief ? On a fleet basis , the best performing manufacturer is BMW 's MINI division , with three models averaging out at just over 27 mpg city/highway . But fitting a family any bigger than two or three in the MINI is n't possible ; Honda might be a more realistic choice , its 27 models average out at almost 24 mpg combined . Domestically , the winner in average fuel economy is Chevrolet , its 88 models average a combined 23.26 mpg combined city/highway , only slightly lower than Honda 's 23.81 mpg average . AOL Autos : Three cheap , fuel-efficient new cars What 's more impressive is that Chevrolet 's numbers factor in a full line of trucks , not the case with Honda -LRB- its only offering in that category being the Ridgeline -RRB- . But as shoppers would be quick to point out , it 's not the fleet that we 're buying . It 's the individual car or truck . AOL Autos : Cars with 30 + MPG for $ 300 or less per month By category , the 2008 Fuel Economy Guide singles out the leaders , and there it 's more than a little apparent that the traditional Asian and European brands are n't about to give up their leadership position . For two-seaters , it 's Mercedes ' Smart brand that delivers 33/41 mpg city/highway , followed by Mazda 's MX-5 and its 22/27 mpg rating . AOL Autos : 10 cars with the best gas mileage MINI stands alone in the next size category -LRB- mini-subcompact -RRB- , with its two variations -LRB- manual and automatic -RRB- delivering 28/37 combined and 26/34 respectively . An interesting side note : the traditional argument that manual transmissions deliver higher fuel economy no longer holds true . Several carmakers boast higher fuel economy with the automatic transmission than with a manual -LRB- if available -RRB- . Toyota 's Yaris takes top honors in the subcompact category , posting 29/35 with an automatic transmission -LRB- 29/36 for the manual -RRB- . The compact category has the Honda Civic Hybrid at the top of the ratings , with its 40/45 mpg , followed by Toyota 's Corolla and its 28/37 mpg rating . A little bigger vehicle will still take you further , notably if it 's the industry leading Toyota Prius . In second place is the Nissan Versa and its 26/31 mpg rating . The federal government 's `` large car '' category has the Honda Accord at the top with 21/31 mpg -LRB- manual -RRB- and 22/31 mpg -LRB- automatic -RRB- . Honda once again takes top honors in the small station wagon category , the Fit coming in at 27/34 -LRB- automatic -RRB- and 28/34 -LRB- manual -RRB- . Volkswagen 's Passat came out on top in the midsize station wagon category with 20/28 mpg for the automatic and 20/29 with manual transmission . Where pickups are concerned , the differences between manufacturers are only slight , with Ford 's Ranger two-wheel-drive Ranger pickup tying with its Mazda cousin , the B2300 at 21/26 mpg city/highway , followed by Toyota 's Tacoma two-wheel-drive version delivering slightly less -- 19/25 mpg . In the standard pickup truck category , 15/20 mpg city/highway seems to be the standard , only the Dodge Dakota and Mitsubishi 's Raider -LRB- both two-wheel-drive -RRB- eking out a slightly higher 16 mpg city . GM apparently owns the cargo van category when it comes to fuel economy , its Chevy 1500/2500 and GMC version delivering 15/20 mpg . And the Mazda5 has similar bragging rights in the minivan category , with 21/27 mpg -LRB- automatic -RRB- and 22/28 mpg -LRB- manual -RRB- . The sport utility vehicle category has Ford Motor Co. taking top honors , not only with the Ford Escape Hybrid at 34/30 but its virtually identical hybrid cousins the Mazda Tribute and Mercury Mariner . The Jeep Compass and Patriot , both with manual transmission and two-wheel-drive , are rated at 23/28 mpg city/highway . So who 's the worst when it comes to earning the gas guzzler label ? Look to the so-called `` exotics . '' The average Lamborghini , for example , will average just over 11 mpg -LRB- combined city and highway -RRB- , only slightly outdoing the two-seater Bugatti Veyron 's 10 mpg . But people who buy those cars are n't nearly as likely to wince as the gas pump numbers go flying by . The lesson : Just about any way the numbers are sliced and diced , there are options for car buyers looking for fuel relief . And the differences may be surprising . Comparisons based on data available in the Model Year 2008 Fuel Economy Guide , published by the U.S. Department of Energy , the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency . Number of vehicles for each manufacturer includes variations in transmission , engine and trim , and fuel octane requirements .", "question": "What is the best rated hybrid car ?", "answer": "Toyota Prius"}, {"story_text": "LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Male singers regularly photographed wearing a hat are usually covering up a receding hairline . Jason Aldean has had six Top 10 country singles . His new album , `` Wide Open , '' is just out . But not Jason Aldean . He has a full head of hair , and wears a cowboy hat to signify his commitment to country music . The same is true for his well-fitting jeans and cowboy boots . It 's a formula that seems to be working . The 32-year-old rising star has just notched his sixth Top 10 country single with `` She 's Country , '' the lead track off his third CD , `` Wide Open '' -LRB- Broken Bow -RRB- . We caught up with the Georgia native in his dressing room before a recent sold-out show at the House of Blues in Los Angeles , California . The following is an edited version of the interview . Jason Aldean : Definitely a cowboy hat in L.A. makes you stand out a little bit . CNN : It 's a fashion statement in L.A. Aldean : It is ! You 've got to wear it with confidence , too . Watch Aldean talk about his new album '' CNN : Are you nervous about your new album ? Aldean : I would n't say I 'm nervous . If you have an album that you 're kind of on the fence about , then yeah , you would be kind of a little nervous . CNN : Have you ever had one of those -- or if you had , would you admit it ? Aldean : When we went in to record the second album -LRB- 2007 's `` Relentless , '' which went gold -RRB- , I think it was a good album , but I felt like I was under a lot of pressure recording that album -- more than the other two . You hear people talking about the sophomore slump and all that stuff , and so I think all that stuff sort of got to me after a while . Combined with being on the road 200 to 250 days -LSB- a year -RSB- , I just did n't have that much fun recording it . I was exhausted . And so going into this third album , I just feel like mentally , I was back in the right place . CNN : As an artist , do you ever really think you got it right ? Aldean : If at any point you 're recording an album and you think it 's the greatest thing that you 've ever done , and you 'll never be able to top it , then you should probably quit . Michael Jackson -- he made `` Thriller , '' so I can see why he might have said , `` I 'm done . '' But even he kept making records . CNN : Were you a Michael Jackson fan growing up ? Did you moonwalk as a kid ? Aldean : Of course ! I had my glove and everything . Used to wet my hair so it looked like a Jheri curl . -LRB- Cracks up -RRB- CNN : Who else did you listen to as a kid ? Aldean : Guns N ' Roses -- the '80s rock stuff . Then I was into John Mellencamp , and Bob Seger and a lot of the Southern rock stuff -- the Allman Brothers , Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Marshall Tucker Band . I listened to a lot of different kinds of music . CNN : Are you finding that the economy has affected ticket sales ? Is it harder to sell out shows these days ? Aldean : I think everybody has kind of seen a little bit of a hit . We 're no different . We 've tried to make it more affordable for people to come to a show with lower ticket prices -LSB- most of the time in the $ 20-40 range -RSB- . Maybe go in and play a show for less money than we would normally go in to play a show for , just so people can afford to come out and buy a ticket . I mean , you 're looking at 200 bucks if you 've got a wife and two kids -- and then by the time you come there and buy a couple of T-shirts , or some drinks or whatever , you 're spending three , four hundred dollars , and right now , people are a little hesitant to do that . CNN : What do you consider an expensive ticket ? Aldean : If Elvis was still around , I do n't know if I 'd pay 80 bucks to go see him . I surely would not pay 80 bucks to go see me ! CNN : From a financial standpoint , touring is more important to an artist than selling records these days . Aldean : The music industry is so different now than it was even when I hit the scene in 2005 . If you go to Wal-Mart and you want a song , you 've got to buy the whole album for ten bucks -- or you can go to iTunes , and if you want a song , you can pay a dollar to get it . So in return , the record label is going to make less money , which is us making less money to pay them back . The way it works is the record label basically fronts the money for us to record an album . As the money comes back in off of that , they take that and repay the debt that we owe them . So if they 're not making enough to repay that debt , they 're not going to keep us employed on the label for very long . CNN : As an artist , do you worry about that ? Aldean : Oh , absolutely . I think every artist worries about that . As a consumer , I think iTunes is a great thing . As an entertainer , not so much . I would much rather have somebody buy an album as a whole . Bad thing about purchasing singles -- if you have an artist you like and you keep doing that , there 's not going to be music enough for you to go and get , because they 're not going to have a deal anymore . But who knows ? Record labels may one day be out all together , and people may be making their own music and selling it on their Web sites . CNN : That seems to benefit established artists more than up-and-coming ones . Aldean : Radio 's really accepted us , and proven that they 're really going to play my stuff as long as I give them something good to play . Fans are coming out to the show , so I mean what more could I ask for ? My original plan when I got started in this deal was just to be able to make a good living for my family and play music . I 've been able to do that , which is all I 've ever wanted .", "question": "Who sings the song `` She 's Country '' ?", "answer": "Jason Aldean"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- iReporters have a message for Richard Wright : Shine on , you crazy diamond . Jessica Schuette 's tattoo reminds her of her late friend , who was a big fan of Pink Floyd . Wright , a founding member of epic rock group Pink Floyd , died Monday . The keyboardist had been battling cancer and succumbed at his home in Britain . Wright is credited with writing some of the band 's most well-known hits , such as `` The Great Gig in the Sky '' and `` Us and Them . '' Pink Floyd has thousands of devoted fans across the world , and the news of Wright 's death inspired many of them to write into iReport to share how Richard Wright and the rest of the group touched and changed their lives . Jessica Schuette shared a photo of her Pink Floyd-inspired tattoo : a shimmering diamond above the words `` shine on . '' She got the tattoo in 2005 in memory of her best friend , who died in a car accident . `` This was her favorite song . I got this tattoo to remember her , '' Schuette said . `` If that does n't say something about the impact that this band has had on people , I do n't know what will . '' Pink Floyd touched the lives of Schuette and her friend even though they were never able to see one of the band 's legendary live shows . Schuette , who is a dedicated Pink Floyd fan herself , pointed out that she 's only 21 -- born 13 years after they released the epic album `` Dark Side of the Moon , '' and too young to have seen the band live when they were touring . iReport.com : Read more of Schuette 's thoughts Omar Pelea of Miami , Florida , hopes the tragedy of Wright 's death will give Schuette and other fans their long-awaited chance to see the group live . He hopes the death will inspire the other members of Pink Floyd to begin touring again . Pink Floyd has not toured with lead singer and songwriter Roger Waters since 1981 , although Rogers reunited with the band in 2005 for a concert at Live 8 in London . `` Now would be a good time for the remaining members to contemplate the fact that a reunion is running short on time , '' he said . `` There are bigger things in life than their differences . Perhaps they should put those differences aside and play for the world one last time . '' `` To me , Pink Floyd is the greatest band ever to play on this Earth , '' he added . iReport.com : Pelea compares Wright to the late George Harrison Long-time Pink Floyd fan Pamela Keenan had the chance to perform some of the group 's greatest works herself . She is a member of Endicott Performing Arts Center , a theatre company in Endicott , New York , that has performed its own adaptations of `` The Wall '' and `` Dark Side of the Moon . '' `` We had a band on the stage with us . We had images and films projected on the back of the stage and we had full choreography and vocals for all the songs from each album , '' she said . `` I listened to all of the music over and over again as a teen , but to be able to perform it in my 30s brought a new respect for the lyrics and the sheer musical genius . '' iReport.com : See a Pink Floyd-themed bike ride Keenan described Pink Floyd as `` one of the greatest bands that 's ever been in existence , '' but thinks the group is underrated by mainstream society today . `` Children are n't exposed to it anymore , '' she said . `` My kids are exposed to it because we did the shows -- and they love it . '' iReport.com : Keen recalls Pink Floyd stage show `` I credit Pink Floyd for being a big part of my imagination , '' said Dean Spiegal , who creates psychedelic videos inspired by the group 's music . `` Floyd was not a band , it was an experience . They did not make music for the people , they made music for their minds . '' iReport.com : Watch Spiegel 's video tribute And Eric Beck put it simply : `` It changed my life . It changed my life , '' he said of `` Dark Side of the Moon . '' `` Rick Wright made a major contribution to my life . And I will forever be so grateful to him and the rest of the band . '' iReport.com : Beck shares his memories via webcam", "question": "Fans of what band shares their memories of late keyboardist Richard Wright ?", "answer": "Pink Floyd"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- iReporters have a message for Richard Wright : Shine on , you crazy diamond . Jessica Schuette 's tattoo reminds her of her late friend , who was a big fan of Pink Floyd . Wright , a founding member of epic rock group Pink Floyd , died Monday . The keyboardist had been battling cancer and succumbed at his home in Britain . Wright is credited with writing some of the band 's most well-known hits , such as `` The Great Gig in the Sky '' and `` Us and Them . '' Pink Floyd has thousands of devoted fans across the world , and the news of Wright 's death inspired many of them to write into iReport to share how Richard Wright and the rest of the group touched and changed their lives . Jessica Schuette shared a photo of her Pink Floyd-inspired tattoo : a shimmering diamond above the words `` shine on . '' She got the tattoo in 2005 in memory of her best friend , who died in a car accident . `` This was her favorite song . I got this tattoo to remember her , '' Schuette said . `` If that does n't say something about the impact that this band has had on people , I do n't know what will . '' Pink Floyd touched the lives of Schuette and her friend even though they were never able to see one of the band 's legendary live shows . Schuette , who is a dedicated Pink Floyd fan herself , pointed out that she 's only 21 -- born 13 years after they released the epic album `` Dark Side of the Moon , '' and too young to have seen the band live when they were touring . iReport.com : Read more of Schuette 's thoughts Omar Pelea of Miami , Florida , hopes the tragedy of Wright 's death will give Schuette and other fans their long-awaited chance to see the group live . He hopes the death will inspire the other members of Pink Floyd to begin touring again . Pink Floyd has not toured with lead singer and songwriter Roger Waters since 1981 , although Rogers reunited with the band in 2005 for a concert at Live 8 in London . `` Now would be a good time for the remaining members to contemplate the fact that a reunion is running short on time , '' he said . `` There are bigger things in life than their differences . Perhaps they should put those differences aside and play for the world one last time . '' `` To me , Pink Floyd is the greatest band ever to play on this Earth , '' he added . iReport.com : Pelea compares Wright to the late George Harrison Long-time Pink Floyd fan Pamela Keenan had the chance to perform some of the group 's greatest works herself . She is a member of Endicott Performing Arts Center , a theatre company in Endicott , New York , that has performed its own adaptations of `` The Wall '' and `` Dark Side of the Moon . '' `` We had a band on the stage with us . We had images and films projected on the back of the stage and we had full choreography and vocals for all the songs from each album , '' she said . `` I listened to all of the music over and over again as a teen , but to be able to perform it in my 30s brought a new respect for the lyrics and the sheer musical genius . '' iReport.com : See a Pink Floyd-themed bike ride Keenan described Pink Floyd as `` one of the greatest bands that 's ever been in existence , '' but thinks the group is underrated by mainstream society today . `` Children are n't exposed to it anymore , '' she said . `` My kids are exposed to it because we did the shows -- and they love it . '' iReport.com : Keen recalls Pink Floyd stage show `` I credit Pink Floyd for being a big part of my imagination , '' said Dean Spiegal , who creates psychedelic videos inspired by the group 's music . `` Floyd was not a band , it was an experience . They did not make music for the people , they made music for their minds . '' iReport.com : Watch Spiegel 's video tribute And Eric Beck put it simply : `` It changed my life . It changed my life , '' he said of `` Dark Side of the Moon . '' `` Rick Wright made a major contribution to my life . And I will forever be so grateful to him and the rest of the band . '' iReport.com : Beck shares his memories via webcam", "question": "What was the name of Pink Floyd 's keyboardist ?", "answer": "Richard Wright"}, {"story_text": "NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An Oscar-winning songwriter was indicted on charges of sexually assaulting women whom he would fly in to New York under the impression they were auditioning for movie roles , the Manhattan District Attorney 's Office said Tuesday . Songwriter Joe Brooks is best known for writing `` You Light Up My Life '' and directing the movie . Joseph Brooks , 71 , faces multiple charges including rape , criminal sexual act , sexual abuse , forcible touching , assault , grand larceny and criminal mischief . The charges involve 11 women , authorities said . Brooks won the Oscar for best original song for the 1977 song , `` You Light Up My Life . '' He also directed the movie , which is about a director who has a one-night stand with an actress . `` I 'm flabbergasted , '' said actress Melanie Mayron , who starred in `` You Light Up My Life . '' Mayron said she did not stay in contact with Brooks over the years but described him as a `` lovely man . '' In the indictment , Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau alleges that Brooks would fly women in from California , Florida and Oregon for private auditions . He would serve the women one or two glasses of wine , said Lisa Friel , assistant district attorney . The women described feelings that suggest a date-rape drug was used , she said , but added that toxicology results were unclear . Shawni Lucier , Brooks ' personal assistant , was also charged with criminal facilitation in connection with arranging some of the encounters . Brooks pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Tuesday . Bail was set at $ 500,000 bond or $ 250,000 cash . The suspect agreed to the terms and left the courthouse . He is set to return Thursday morning and meet the bail agreement , said Jeffery C. Hoffman , his lawyer . Hoffman said some of the women who made the accusations were trying out for a role in a screenplay Brooks wrote . None of the girls was chosen for the part and may feel `` upset about that fact , '' the lawyer said . Hoffman said he is looking forward to proving his client 's innocence . `` All I can say is , my client is anxious to clear his name of these false charges , '' he added .", "question": "Who was the songwriter of `` You Light Up My Life '' ?", "answer": "Joe Brooks"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- Entertainment Weekly -RRB- -- It could n't top its predecessors , but `` X-Men Origins : Wolverine '' still brought in quite a haul , grossing an estimated $ 87 million for the opening weekend of the summer movie season . Hugh Jackman stars as the title character in `` X-Men Origins : Wolverine . '' The Hugh Jackman pic brought in a strong $ 21,225 per-theater average in 4,099 movie houses , despite generating mixed reviews . The film fell $ 15 million short of 2006 's `` X-Men : The Last Stand '' but it is still an enormous success for Jackman and director Gavin Hood . Matthew McConaughey 's `` Ghosts of Girlfriends Past '' generated an estimated $ 15.3 million for a second place bow . It 's not a shabby opening but it is far less than McConaughey 's previous romantic outings including last year 's `` Fool 's Gold '' -LRB- $ 21.6 million -RRB- or 2006 's `` Failure to Launch '' -LRB- $ 24.2 million -RRB- . -LRB- Perhaps women were too busy checking out all those hunky mutants this weekend ? -RRB- The two new openers did help the industry maintain its year-over-year increase of 16 percent . Also aiding that statistic was Beyonce Knowles ' `` Obsessed . '' Dropping a not-surprising 57 percent for its second weekend in theaters , the thriller earned another $ 12.2 million to put its ten-day gross at a shockingly strong $ 47 million . And Zac Efron 's `` 17 Again '' showed surprising stamina , too , grossing an additional $ 6.3 million its third weekend for a total take of $ 48.4 million . The other new wide release for the weekend was the anemic 3-D animated sci-fi film `` Battle for Terra . '' Opening on 1162 theaters , the Justin Long , Evan Rachel Wood-voiced feature proved to be little competition for the other 3-D movie in the marketplace . Dreamworks Animation 's juggernaut `` Monsters vs. Aliens '' grossed another $ 5.8 million its sixth weekend for the fifth slot in the rankings , while newcomer `` Terra '' could n't muster more than $ 1 million for a twelfth place in the box office derby . Summer has officially begun -- at least in Hollywood -- so expect a giant event film every weekend . Wolverine may have bowed mightily but with `` Star Trek '' hot on its heels next weekend , the Marvel superhero is going to need more than adamantium to maintain its box office lead . CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly", "question": "Who directed the movie `` Wolverine '' ?", "answer": "Gavin Hood"}, {"story_text": "SAN FRANCISCO , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Convicted `` Unabomber '' Ted Kaczynski , who terrorized the country with a series of mail bombs over nearly two decades , is fighting to stop a public auction of his diaries and other personal possessions . Ted Kaczynski is fighting auction of possessions like this jacket and sunglasses made famous by a police sketch . But Kaczynski 's five-year legal battle will come to an end soon unless he can convince the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case . `` I regard him as the essence of evil . He 's evil and amoral . He has no compassion , '' said Dr. Charles Epstein , who was seriously injured in 1993 when a bomb went off in a piece of mail he opened at his home . The blast destroyed both of Epstein 's eardrums , and he lost parts of three of his fingers . Epstein , 75 , is a world-renowned geneticist and retired professor at the University of California at San Francisco . He is one of four victims who are owed $ 15 million in court-ordered restitution from Kaczynski , and he told CNN the auction was important to victims . Watch why the auction is causing controversy '' `` Who would think that we would still be sitting , this many years later , still having dealings ... with the man who tried to kill us ? '' Epstein said . Kaczynski was arrested in 1996 , pleaded guilty in 1998 and is currently serving a life term in the federal `` Supermax '' prison in Florence , Colorado . CNN was given exclusive access to videotape the items that will be up for auction , which were seized from the Montana cabin in which Kaczynski lived for years and held in evidence by the FBI in San Francisco and Washington . See who else calls `` Supermax '' home '' The property includes tools , typewriters , knives and a hatchet ; Kaczynski 's degrees from Harvard and the University of Michigan ; and the glasses and hooded jacket made famous by an artist 's rendering of the suspect . But experts say the most valuable items probably will be the 40,000 pages of Kaczynski 's diaries and other writings . `` Personally , I do n't think he has any rights to anything , '' Epstein said . `` I think he abrogated all of his rights by his behavior . '' The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the victims earlier this year , and now Kaczynski has until June 15 to file a notice of appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court . Steve Hirsch , a California attorney who represents the four victims , said he doubts the Supreme Court would consider an appeal , and thinks the auction could happen later this year . A private company will handle the auction , but no company has yet been selected . `` The victims were placed in this terrible position of either accepting this idea of an auction with all of its problems or letting Kaczynski have all of his things back , which would have been another wound for them , '' Hirsch told CNN . In handwritten legal documents , in which Kaczynski refers to himself as `` K , '' he claims , `` The District Court 's orders violate K 's First Amendment rights . '' `` The case involves the question of whether the government , consistent with the First Amendment , can confiscate an individual 's personal papers and sell them at public auction to enforce payment of a debt , '' Kaczynski wrote in one of his numerous legal arguments . Lawrence Brown , acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of California , said his office has no choice but to support the auction . `` This is a directive from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals , '' he said . `` We were put in a situation where it was sort of an either-or . Either we returned all of the property back to Kaczynski , or we sought to maximize its value by holding an auction to put it back towards the $ 15 million that 's owed in restitution . '' Kaczynski , now 67 , killed three people and wounded 23 others in a string of attacks from 1978 to 1995 . The remainder of the victims have declined to seek restitution . Federal agents gave the case the code name `` Unabom '' because universities and airlines were the early targets . Kaczynski quit a tenure-track position at the University of California-Berkeley in 1969 to build a 13-by-13 foot shack near Lincoln , Montana , where he lived without running water or electricity until his 1996 arrest . Agents closed in after his brother noted similarities between his old letters and journals and the bomber 's 35,000-word anti-technology manifesto . The New York Times and the Washington Post agreed to publish the document under a promise that the bombings would stop . `` If some funds are raised by this auction , to help out some of the victims , well , then that does help promote some level of justice , '' Brown said . `` But you just can not right the tremendous wrong that Kaczynski committed . ''", "question": "Who was known as the `` Unabomber '' ?", "answer": "Ted Kaczynski"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Gay slurs hurled by three figures in professional sports in the last month are more than just testosterone-fueled temper tantrums , some say . The behavior , they say , is symptomatic of a deeper problem and should be used as an opportunity to tackle homophobia in professional sports . `` Kobe Bryant , Joakim Noah and Roger McDowell are not any different from many people in our society who use offensive language like that on a daily basis , '' said Jarrod Chin of the Society for the Study of Sport in Society at Boston 's Northeastern University . `` These incidents provide a real opportunity for the NBA and MLB to take a strong stance against homophobia . '' In April , a frustrated Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant laced a referee with an epithet that gays find offensive . Bryant quickly apologized and was fined $ 100,000 . Bryant was apparently angry that the referee penalized him for a technical foul . In early May , Atlanta Braves pitching coach Roger McDowell made national headlines for tossing anti-gay slurs at a group of fans in San Francisco . He also made crude gestures at the fans , in full view of children who were in the crowd . After a short suspension , an emotional McDowell apologized at a news conference . And last week , bombastic Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah was captured by television cameras lobbing a similar slur at a fan after his second foul in the game . Noah apologized right after the game and was slapped with a $ 50,000 fine . `` When sports stars use slurs , it is especially damaging because their increased public profile means many more people are exposed . These people seem to have lost sight of the fact that in their prime , in pivotal moments in games , they are one of the most influential people in the world , '' said former NBA player John Amaechi . Amaechi knows all too well about homophobia in sports . He is credited as being one of the few professional stars to admit he is gay . But Amaechi came out of the closet after he retired . He said he did not feel comfortable disclosing his orientation during his 5-year NBA stint . Amaechi says he still remembers the pointed response from NBA star Tim Hardaway that followed his disclosure . `` First of all , I would n't want him on my team , '' Hardaway told a radio host in 2007 . `` You know , I hate gay people , so I let it be known . I do n't like gay people and I do n't like to be around gay people . I am homophobic . I do n't like it . It should n't be in the world or in the United States . '' Hardaway later apologized for his statement -- but the sentiment persists among many athletes , Amaechi says . `` Sports stars need to remember that being a positive role model is as much a part of their job as making lay-ups , hitting home runs or scoring touchdowns , '' he said . Rick Welts , president and CEO of the Phoenix Suns , says he had kept his sexual orientation secret throughout his long career . Welts came out when the Kobe Bryant epithet caused a stir . He said Bryant 's slur solidified in his mind that he needed to go public . `` Well , the irony of the timing is it was the day before that I had been sitting in David Stern , the -LRB- NBA -RRB- commissioner 's office , to kind of discuss this with him . And then the next night , Kobe went off , '' Welts told CNN 's Eliot Spitzer . `` You know , I think it reinforced that probably it was time , because I think that will probably be remembered as a teaching moment . '' While his disclosure has been received positively for the most part , Welts says is apprehensive about his future and feels that he is in uncharted territory . `` I do n't know what my future is . I do n't know where my career is going to go , '' he said . `` I think that 's part of the big problem with players . There 's no example out there . No one has ever done it . No one really knows what 's going to happen . '' The NBA recently released a pubic service announcement featuring players Grant Hill and Jared Dudley about anti-gay language . `` Using gay to mean dumb or stupid ... Not cool , '' Hill says in the commercial that is running during the playoff games . `` It is offensive to gay people , '' Dudley adds . But some say more needs to be done . `` Male professional sports do have an issue with homophobia , but so does society in general , '' Chin , of Northeastern University , said . `` The NBA and MLB are great vehicles for educating folks about this issue and could really turn these negative events into a positive teachable moment . ''", "question": "What team does Joakim Noah play for ?", "answer": "Chicago Bulls"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- InStyle.com -RRB- -- Style , beauty and a certain je ne sais quoi is in the genes for these ultra-glamorous mother/daughter duos . Goldie Hawn and Kate Hudson Goldie made a name for herself starring in romantic comedies that highlighted her sense of humor as well as her acting chops . If that sounds familiar , it 's because it 's the same exact career trajectory her gorgeous daughter Kate Hudson chose to take . Along with loads of talent , these two also share a love for a laid-back California-girl style . Blythe Danner and Gwyneth Paltrow Acclaimed actress Blythe Danner passed along regal good looks and a whole lot of talent to her Oscar-winning daughter . The consummately chic Gwyneth Paltrow is well on her way to becoming a lifestyle guru for her generation with her tip-filled e-mail newsletter GOOP . InStyle.com : Hollywood 's hottest moms And , although her sexy ultra-minis may seem far afield from her mother 's sophisticated suits , she draws inspiration from Blythe : `` In her , I see the incredible beauty of someone who has lived a life . '' Demi Moore and Rumer Willis Rumer Willis scored more than just Demi Moore 's raven locks and high cheekbones -- the up-and-coming actress has an all-access pass to her mother 's killer wardrobe . Despite this shared resource , Rumer has developed her own enviable edgy-glam style , a true departure from mom 's ever-ladylike looks . Madonna and Lourdes Leon With one of the world 's most famous women as your mom , Lourdes Leon has some pretty tall -- and expensive -- shoes to fill . But the teenager , who is helping her mum design a line of clothing for Macy 's , is out to prove she 's a creative force to be reckoned with , too . InStyle.com : Mother 's Day gifts under $ 100 `` She reminds me of me when I was younger . She just goes for it and tries different things , '' Madonna said recently about Lourdes -LRB- aka Lola -RRB- . Susan Sarandon and Eva Amurri Susan Sarandon and her daughter Eva Amurri have no shortage of talent or style . Eva 's racking up the acting credits with stints on Californication and How I Met Your Mother and drawing all eyes on the red carpet in boldly hued designs by pal Chris Benz . It 's no wonder Eva should befriend the fashion elite -- her mother took her to Todd Oldham and Diane von Furstenberg shows when she was just a kid . Jane Birkin and Charlotte Gainsbourg Seeing as how her mother had an Hermes bag named after her -LRB- the Birkin -RRB- , it 's no surprise that Charlotte Gainsbourg has become a style icon herself . In addition to being a popular French actress and pop singer -LRB- another hand-me-down from mom -RRB- , Charlotte is also Nicholas Ghesquiere 's muse for Balenciaga -- check her out in the house 's new fragrance campaign . Isabella Rossellini and Elettra Wiedemann As Ingrid Bergman 's daughter and granddaughter respectively , Isabella Rossellini and Elettra Wiedemann were born into serious Hollywood royalty . Both mother and daughter are also spokeswomen for Lanc\u00f4me -- quite a distinction ! Meryl Streep and Mamie Gummer Meryl Streep and Mamie Gummer may share the same patrician profile and wheat-blond locks , but the gifted pair are no mirror image when it comes to wardrobe . While the legendary Streep favors long , retro-inspired gowns , her ingenue daughter can be spotted out in ultra-modern little draped dresses . Mamie will have plenty of opportunities to air her style on the red carpet -- following in her prolific mom 's footsteps , she has three movies coming out this year . Bianca Jagger and Jade Jagger As a Studio 54 fixture and '70s glamazon , Bianca Jagger set more than a few trends , much like her jewelry designing daughter Jade does now . The younger Jagger also inherited her mom 's effortlessly chic style and exotic good looks . Katie Holmes and Suri Cruise The paparazzi descended as soon as little Suri was born and have yet to let up on the tot and her famous mother . InStyle.com : Suri Cruise 's cutest outfits The twosome have been spotted doing everything from going to ballet class and makeup shopping to eating ice cream together . And with a side gig as a designer , Katie is teaching her mini-me to be quite the fashionista . See more mother/daughter muses at InStyle.com Get a FREE TRIAL issue of InStyle - CLICK HERE !", "question": "Who is Susan Sarandon 's duaghter ?", "answer": "Eva Amurri"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Scottish Rugby Union has appointed Andy Robinson , formerly coach of bitter rivals England , as the new national team boss . Andy Robinson will be seeking to revive the fortunes of Scotland 's struggling rugby side . The 45-year-old won eight caps as a flanker for England , and was assistant coach in Clive Woodward 's 2003 World Cup-winning set-up before taking over for an ill-fated reign himself in 2004 , winning just nine of 22 matches . Robinson returned to top-class coaching with Celtic League team Edinburgh in 2007 , and has sufficiently impressed Scottish officials in the 20 months since then to win favor as the replacement for Frank Hadden . He had been part of Hadden 's backroom staff , and had already been chosen to coach Scotland A this summer . Hadden resigned on April 2 after Scotland again struggled in the Six Nations , finishing second from bottom with just one win from five outings . Robinson was delighted to be given the chance to return to the international stage . `` With the World Cup in New Zealand in 2011 , I believe we have a crop of players who can really challenge the world 's best , and preparation for that starts now , '' he told the SRU Web site . `` I 'm looking forward to leading Scotland A into the IRB Nations Cup in Romania next week and thereafter preparing for our Autumn Tests at Murrayfield against Fiji , Australia and Argentina . '' Robinson is believed to have headed off the likes of South Africa 's World Cup-winning coach Jake White and former Australia boss Eddie Jones for the job . Former Scotland captain and British and Irish Lion Gordon Bulloch was part of the interview panel that determined the appointment . `` Andy was the outstanding candidate from a quite exceptional shortlist which underlines the allure of coaching the Scotland team , '' he told the SRU 's Web site . `` I know from having had the privilege of his coaching and guidance on Lions tours that he is passionate about his rugby , is a skilled communicator and has values and an ethos which are absolutely at one with developing a winning Scotland team . '' Scottish Rugby chief executive Gordon McKie said he was confident Robinson would prove to be successful . `` Andy has proved himself at every level of the game and we are thrilled that he will now be leading the Scotland team as we look towards the challenges of the next three years , including the 2011 World Cup , '' McKie said . `` He has been part of the Scottish Rugby family for the past two years and has brought success both to Edinburgh Rugby , with their highest ever Magners League finish in successive seasons , and has also guided the Scotland A team to notable successes . ''", "question": "Who was appointed the new coach of Scotland 's national rugby team ?", "answer": "Andy Robinson"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- InStyle.com -RRB- -- Style , beauty and a certain je ne sais quoi is in the genes for these ultra-glamorous mother/daughter duos . Goldie Hawn and Kate Hudson Goldie made a name for herself starring in romantic comedies that highlighted her sense of humor as well as her acting chops . If that sounds familiar , it 's because it 's the same exact career trajectory her gorgeous daughter Kate Hudson chose to take . Along with loads of talent , these two also share a love for a laid-back California-girl style . Blythe Danner and Gwyneth Paltrow Acclaimed actress Blythe Danner passed along regal good looks and a whole lot of talent to her Oscar-winning daughter . The consummately chic Gwyneth Paltrow is well on her way to becoming a lifestyle guru for her generation with her tip-filled e-mail newsletter GOOP . InStyle.com : Hollywood 's hottest moms And , although her sexy ultra-minis may seem far afield from her mother 's sophisticated suits , she draws inspiration from Blythe : `` In her , I see the incredible beauty of someone who has lived a life . '' Demi Moore and Rumer Willis Rumer Willis scored more than just Demi Moore 's raven locks and high cheekbones -- the up-and-coming actress has an all-access pass to her mother 's killer wardrobe . Despite this shared resource , Rumer has developed her own enviable edgy-glam style , a true departure from mom 's ever-ladylike looks . Madonna and Lourdes Leon With one of the world 's most famous women as your mom , Lourdes Leon has some pretty tall -- and expensive -- shoes to fill . But the teenager , who is helping her mum design a line of clothing for Macy 's , is out to prove she 's a creative force to be reckoned with , too . InStyle.com : Mother 's Day gifts under $ 100 `` She reminds me of me when I was younger . She just goes for it and tries different things , '' Madonna said recently about Lourdes -LRB- aka Lola -RRB- . Susan Sarandon and Eva Amurri Susan Sarandon and her daughter Eva Amurri have no shortage of talent or style . Eva 's racking up the acting credits with stints on Californication and How I Met Your Mother and drawing all eyes on the red carpet in boldly hued designs by pal Chris Benz . It 's no wonder Eva should befriend the fashion elite -- her mother took her to Todd Oldham and Diane von Furstenberg shows when she was just a kid . Jane Birkin and Charlotte Gainsbourg Seeing as how her mother had an Hermes bag named after her -LRB- the Birkin -RRB- , it 's no surprise that Charlotte Gainsbourg has become a style icon herself . In addition to being a popular French actress and pop singer -LRB- another hand-me-down from mom -RRB- , Charlotte is also Nicholas Ghesquiere 's muse for Balenciaga -- check her out in the house 's new fragrance campaign . Isabella Rossellini and Elettra Wiedemann As Ingrid Bergman 's daughter and granddaughter respectively , Isabella Rossellini and Elettra Wiedemann were born into serious Hollywood royalty . Both mother and daughter are also spokeswomen for Lanc\u00f4me -- quite a distinction ! Meryl Streep and Mamie Gummer Meryl Streep and Mamie Gummer may share the same patrician profile and wheat-blond locks , but the gifted pair are no mirror image when it comes to wardrobe . While the legendary Streep favors long , retro-inspired gowns , her ingenue daughter can be spotted out in ultra-modern little draped dresses . Mamie will have plenty of opportunities to air her style on the red carpet -- following in her prolific mom 's footsteps , she has three movies coming out this year . Bianca Jagger and Jade Jagger As a Studio 54 fixture and '70s glamazon , Bianca Jagger set more than a few trends , much like her jewelry designing daughter Jade does now . The younger Jagger also inherited her mom 's effortlessly chic style and exotic good looks . Katie Holmes and Suri Cruise The paparazzi descended as soon as little Suri was born and have yet to let up on the tot and her famous mother . InStyle.com : Suri Cruise 's cutest outfits The twosome have been spotted doing everything from going to ballet class and makeup shopping to eating ice cream together . And with a side gig as a designer , Katie is teaching her mini-me to be quite the fashionista . See more mother/daughter muses at InStyle.com Get a FREE TRIAL issue of InStyle - CLICK HERE !", "question": "What is the name of Katie Holme 's daughter ?", "answer": "Suri Cruise"}, {"story_text": "LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Jon Hamm has a confession to make : He hates his hair . Jon Hamm poses with his partner , Jennifer Westfeldt , at the premiere of `` The Day the Earth Stood Still . '' That may come as a surprise to fans of the actor , whose slick-backed hair is part of his signature look on '' Mad Men '' -- the show that just earned him another Golden Globe nomination for best actor in a TV drama . In the new movie `` The Day the Earth Stood Still , '' Hamm sports a slightly different ` do , with his bangs combed rakishly over one eye . It was in the context of promoting the sci-fi remake that Hamm revealed his tonsorial frustration . `` It 's the bane of my existence . Goofy hair , '' he said in a self-deprecating interview with CNN . `` It never looks good ... It 's a pain . '' Hamm says he 's always worn his hair long , but had to cut it for AMC 's TV series , in which he plays a 1960s Madison Avenue ad executive . He says stylists on the show , armed with hair spray and blow dryers , mold his coiffure into a hard shell . Helmet hair has come in handy at work . `` I 've had a piece of the set fall on my head and my hair did n't move , '' he said . `` I had seven stitches in my head and my hair did n't move . That 's impressive . '' Whether it 's his hair , good looks , acting chops or a combination thereof , Hamm 's star is on the rise in Hollywood . Apart from his co-starring role in `` The Day the Earth Stood Still , '' Hamm recently completed work on the murder mystery `` The Boy in the Box . '' He hosted `` Saturday Night Live '' this fall , he 's due to play Tina Fey 's love interest on `` 30 Rock '' and he continues to receive accolades for his work on `` Mad Men '' -LRB- nominations for an Emmy and a Golden Globe so far -RRB- . How does that make Hamm feel ? `` Exciting is the right way to say it . It 's been a good year . It 's very exciting , '' he said . `` I get to read a lot more scripts . I get to meet interesting people . I get to work with interesting people ... It 's fun to be sort of invited to the party . ''", "question": "What show is Jon Hamm in ?", "answer": "Mad Men"}, {"story_text": "LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A hearing to consider who will raise Michael Jackson 's three children has been delayed another week , while lawyers work to avoid a court battle over custody . Debbie Rowe said she married Michael Jackson to avoid the taboo of having childrien out of wedlock . The delay -- the third one this month -- was announced Friday afternoon by a Los Angeles County Superior Court spokesman . Debbie Rowe , Jackson 's ex-wife and mother of his two oldest children , has not publicly revealed whether she will challenge Katherine Jackson , his 79-year-old mother , for custody or visitation rights . Katherine Jackson gained temporary guardianship of her son 's children soon after his death last month . The two women have been working to `` privately and amicably resolve '' the matter since Jackson 's death , a Jackson family lawyer said . Rowe 's lawyer said this week that she was not asking the Jackson family for more money in exchange for dropping a possible custody challenge . A close friend of Rowe said she has been grieving Jackson 's death -- grief made more painful by paparazzi hounding her and media reports vilifying Rowe by depicting her as a heartless woman who would trade her kids for cash . `` Debbie 's a very caring , wonderful , warm person , '' said Marc Schaffel , who met first met Rowe when he worked for Jackson . `` She 's a very humble person . People , you know , do n't give her credit that she was a friend of Michael 's for over 30 years . '' Jackson and Rowe met when she was working as a nursing assistant in the Beverly Hills office of Jackson 's dermatologist , Dr. Arnold Klein . Rowe said in a 2003 interview , later obtained by ABC News , that she became closer to Jackson in 1996 when she consoled him after his brief marriage to Lisa Marie Presley ended . `` He was upset because he really wanted to be a dad , '' Rowe said . `` I said , ` So , be a dad . ' He looked at me puzzled . That is when I looked at him and said . ` Let me do this . I want to do this . You have been so good to me . You are such a great friend . Please let me do this . You need to be a dad , and I want you to be . ' '' She told the interviewer they married in 1996 only to `` prevent some of the taboo of a child out of wedlock . '' While Schaffel would not say if their relationship was sexual , he said Rowe had `` a true , true love there for Michael . '' Their first child , Michael Joseph Jackson Jr. , was born in February 1997 . A daughter , Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson , was born the next year . Details of how the children were conceived and who was the biological father have been closely guarded amid much public speculation . The couple divorced in 1999 with Rowe giving Jackson full custody while she got a $ 8.5 million settlement , according to court documents . Jackson later agreed to additional support . Rowe gave up parental rights to Jackson in 2001 , but she changed her mind more than two years later and sought temporary custody of the children . A California appeals court later ruled her rights were improperly terminated , opening the door to a possible custody battle . Rowe claimed in the 2003 interview that she still had `` some influence '' over how Jackson raised the children , citing his practice of covering their faces in public as her idea . `` That was my request , not his , '' she said . `` I am the one who 's terrified . I am the one who 's seen the notes that someone 's going to take his children , '' she said . She said the children do n't call her `` mom '' because she did not want them to . `` It 's not that they 're not my children , but I had them because I wanted him to be a father , '' she said . Rowe , 50 , lives on a farm in Palmdale , California , about 60 miles north of Los Angeles , where she breeds horses and dogs . `` She spends time with all of her horses and her dogs , '' Schaffel said . `` If one of her horses is sick , Debbie will stay up all night long caring for them . She 'll sleep on the floor in the barn with a horse if he 's not well . `` Debbie does n't run out to all of the social events , '' he said . `` You do n't see her shopping on Rodeo Drive . She 's not hitting the hot spots . She 's not trying to be in the limelight . Debbie is just as happy at home in her very modest , humble , horse ranch . '' When Hollywood 's paparazzi surrounded her outside a restaurant near her ranch earlier this month , she showed flashes of anger and frustration . `` Are you ready to fight for your kids ? '' a photographer repeatedly shouted . `` Are you ready to get your butt kicked ? '' she replied , as she walked through the swarm . Schaffel said Rowe wants privacy and she 's `` just trying to go on with her life . '' `` She does n't react well with the paparazzi , '' he said . Rowe 's lawyers have stepped up their efforts to bolster her public image by firing off warning letters and demanding retractions when they see reports they think are wrong . One letter sent Tuesday demanded the New York Post retract its report that Rowe had agreed to drop her custody claims for $ 4 million . `` Ms. Rowe has not accepted -- and will not accept -- any additional financial consideration beyond the spousal support she and Michael Jackson personally agreed to several years ago , '' Eric George said in the letter . `` Among the several contenders for overzealous and inaccurate sensationalism , the New York Post has now seized top honors , '' George wrote to the paper . `` It would be easier to identify those few background facts that are accurate than to catalog the number of blatant falsehoods in your story . '' `` The Post stands by its story , '' New York Post Editor-in-Chief Col Allan told CNN . Rowe also filed a lawsuit this week against a woman who claimed in a TV interview to have e-mails from Rowe saying she did n't really want to raise the children . The suit asked that Rowe be given any money paid to the woman for the interview . CNN 's Kay Jones contributed to this report .", "question": "Who is Debbie Rowe ?", "answer": "Jackson 's ex-wife and mother of his two oldest children"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sen. Barack Obama is saddled with a potentially toxic image problem : that he has an elitist attitude . Sen. Barack Obama mingles at the Penn State dairy farm . It has made him a target of attacks from Democratic rival Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. John McCain , the presumed Republican nominee . It 's ironic that one presidential candidate could hang that label on another , said Dr. Drew Westen , professor of psychology and psychiatry at Emory University in Atlanta , Georgia , and author of `` The Political Brain . '' `` If you think you should be president , by definition you are an elitist , only because you believe that of the 300 million people in America , you are the best person to run it , '' he said . `` There ca n't be a more elitist statement than that . '' Obama 's opponents made the elitist charge after the senator from Illinois said some small-town Pennsylvanians are understandably `` bitter '' over the government 's failure to reverse their economic decline and , in their frustration , `` cling to guns and religion . '' He made the statement at a recent fundraiser in San Francisco , California . Watch how Obama is fighting the elitist label '' Obama defended his remarks but said he could have worded them better . Clinton said his comments were `` elitist , out of touch and frankly , patronizing . '' McCain agreed that the remarks were `` elitist . '' Branding a rival elitist is not new in politics . Republicans for years have successfully labeled Democratic presidential candidates as the liberal elite . Portraying their rivals as latte-sipping , sushi-eating insiders , Republicans have connected with some voters by arguing that they understand the values important to the everyday person . `` It 's a little like when politicians charge politicians with being politicians . It has the same feel to it : that if it sticks , it 's because a candidate has n't handled it well , '' Westen said . Republicans painted George W. Bush 's Democratic opponents Al Gore in 2000 and John Kerry in 2004 as elitists who were detached from average Americans , and the strategy worked . How damaging the blow is , Westen said , depends on the target 's response . `` The mistake that Kerry and Gore both made was to let that brand stick to them , '' he said . `` The only question is whether Obama fights it back and offers a different brand for himself than the brand that is starting to be given to him . '' By definition , all the candidates exhibit the aura of elitism , because it 's difficult to get a presidential campaign started without some degree of personal wealth . It 's ironic , Westen said , that of the three standing , the only one who is n't demonstrably wealthy is Obama . Since leaving the White House , the Clintons have earned more than $ 109 million from book sales , speaking engagements , the presidential pension and her Senate salary , among other sources . McCain , whose father and grandfather were Navy admirals , married into wealth . His second wife , Cindy , has a stake in her father 's multimillion-dollar beer distributor company . The Associated Press estimated her worth at more than $ 100 million . Whatever their current financial status , the candidates all like to convey the impression that they are not much different than the people they are trying to persuade to vote for them . Obama , 46 , who graduated from Columbia University and received a law degree from Harvard , often mentions growing up in a single-parent home . He says he and his wife just paid off their school loans in the past five or six years . `` I was n't born into a lot of money . I did n't have a trust fund . I was n't born into fame and fortune . I was raised by a single mother with the help of my grandparents , '' he said . `` My mother had to use food stamps at one point . '' Clinton , who has been reaching out to blue-collar voters with stories of how she learned to shoot a gun in Pennsylvania and photo ops hoisting a shot and a beer , often talks about her middle-class upbringing . Clinton , 60 , went to Wellesley College before attending law school at Yale . After graduation , she advocated for women and children 's rights and became a staff attorney for the Children 's Defense Fund . She later became a partner in a law firm and was twice listed as one of the 100 most influential lawyers in the country . The senator from New York frequently touts her 35 years of public service , including eight as first lady . McCain spent a week traveling around on a `` get-to-know-me '' tour . He talked about how he was a rambunctious child with a chip on his shoulder . McCain , 71 , went to the United States Naval Academy and frequently jokes about finishing at the bottom of his class . After graduation , he spent 22 years as a naval pilot . He was shot down on a bombing mission and spent five years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam . He retired from the Navy in 1981 and , living in Arizona , became a member of the House the next year . He was elected to the Senate in 1986 and is serving his fourth term . Dr. James Twitchell , an author , University of Florida English professor and commentator on American culture , said the whole elitism back-and-forth is `` self-serving nonsense , '' pointing specifically to the similarities in the Democratic contenders ' stories . `` Both senators are members of one of the more elite clubs -LSB- the Senate -RSB- , attended the elite schools -LSB- Harvard , Yale -RSB- and are out for one of the most elite jobs , '' he said . As the candidates get closer to the White House , they get farther away from `` normal life . '' They fight to show they still share the average American 's values , visiting bowling alleys , diners and schools along the way . `` I do think it speaks to one of the conflicts that Americans have about their leaders , which is we want them to be like us , and we want them to be above us at the same time , '' Westen said . `` The issue comes down to two things . One is , do you let your opponent brand you as elite , in which case you are in a lot of trouble in American politics ? And the second is , do you convey clearly to people that you understand them and the world they live in and the problems they face ? '' he said . `` In the case of Barack Obama , my guess is , this is n't going to stick terribly well because he does such a good job of connecting with people that the elitist charge is going to be a harder one to make people feel . '' E-mail to a friend CNN 's Candy Crowley contributed to this report .", "question": "Who are Barack Obama 's rivals ?", "answer": "Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. John McCain"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Evangelical pastor Ted Haggard says he contemplated suicide after his relationship with a male escort was revealed in 2006 , resulting in his being fired from the influential megachurch that he founded two decades ago . Rev. Ted Haggard tells Oprah Winfrey he still struggles with homosexual urges but says he is not gay . Haggard told talk show host Oprah Winfrey on Wednesday that the scandal forced him to work through his `` issues '' with homosexuality . `` I was dying . I had settled in my mind exactly how I was going to commit suicide , '' Haggard told Winfrey . `` I was preparing , and in my life , Jesus came to me and he said , ` Now , now I can save you . ' '' The interview also addressed the latest scandal involving the embattled pastor . In a statement from Haggard that Winfrey read at the end of the program , Haggard denied having `` physical contact '' with a second man whose allegations of an inappropriate relationship with Haggard surfaced recently . Watch Haggard 's accuser speak out '' Haggard , who appeared in the prerecorded interview segment with his wife and two of his three children , said he continues to struggle with homosexual urges but insisted he is not gay . Haggard continues to have `` sexual thoughts about men , but they 're not compulsive any more , and I do have temptations , but they 're not compulsive , '' he told Winfrey . He said one therapist described him as a `` heterosexual with homosexual attachments , '' and he admitted to struggling with homosexual urges all his life . `` I do believe I do n't fit into the normal boxes , '' Haggard said . `` I do think there are complexities associated with some people 's sexuality , but it just was n't as simple as I wanted it to be , because I was so deeply in love with my life . '' But , he added , `` I had this other thing going on inside of me too . '' Haggard founded the Colorado-based New Life Church in his basement in 1984 and oversaw its growth to a megachurch with some 15,000 members . After the scandal , he was fired from the church in 2006 and also resigned as president of the National Association of Evangelicals -- a group that says it represents millions of people in 45,000 evangelical church congregations nationwide . His fall followed allegations from male escort Mike Jones about a sex-for-money relationship that involved drugs . `` When it first started to happen , I lied about it because I was so ashamed , and it was the first time that that dark area of my life that I had worked so hard to keep secret and fight against was coming to the surface , '' he told Winfrey . `` I thank God , though , that in this process , I am where I am now and that accusation and the scandal had a lot to do with that , '' he said . The interview aired as Haggard tries to combat the latest allegations . A senior pastor at New Life Church in Colorado Springs , Colorado , said Monday that the church agreed to pay the second man -- a 20-year-old church volunteer -- in exchange for his pledge not to talk publicly about the relationship with Haggard . After the taped segment , Winfrey read a statement from Haggard about those new allegations . `` Even though there was never any physical contact , I have regretted my irresponsible behavior , '' Haggard said , referring to allegations from a man he identified as Grant . `` I apologized to Grant , my family and the church two years ago . I now ask him again for his forgiveness as well as the people of the church , '' Haggard said . In the past three weeks , the man told New Life Senior Pastor Brady Boyd that he was considering going public with his story because Haggard was portraying himself as a victim in an upcoming HBO documentary called `` The Trial of Ted Haggard , '' which is scheduled to air Thursday .", "question": "What organization did Haggard found ?", "answer": "Colorado-based New Life Church"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Army Gen. David Petraeus , the top U.S. commander in Iraq , has been chosen to become chief of U.S. Central Command , Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Wednesday . Gen. David Petraeus has been the commander in Iraq for more than a year . Petraeus would replace Adm. William Fallon , who said last month that he was resigning . Fallon said widespread , but false , reports that he was at odds with the Bush administration over Iran had made his job impossible . In addition , Gates said , Army Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno , commander of the Multinational Corps-Iraq -- the No. 2 position in Iraq -- is being nominated to fill Petraeus ' post . Odierno has been home from Iraq for only a couple of months but has agreed to return , Gates said . The plan is for Petraeus to leave Iraq in late summer or early fall , Gates said , to ensure a smooth transition and plenty of time for Odierno to prepare . `` We expect to move the paperwork on these nominations to the White House and to the Senate very quickly , '' Gates said . `` Because of the complexity of this series of moves , I respectfully ask the Senate to move on them expeditiously , hopefully by Memorial Day , so the families and we can plan appropriately . '' Odierno was in line for a Pentagon desk job as Army Vice Chief just over a year after helping Petraeus implement the `` surge '' in U.S. troops in Iraq . The Pentagon says Petraeus will stay in Iraq long enough to make the first recommendation on further troop cuts after the surge is over . Watch the challenges ahead of Petraeus '' Gates said the generals ' promotions reflected an endorsement of the current course in Iraq . `` The course certainly that Gen. Petraeus has set has been a successful course . So , frankly , I think staying that course is not a bad idea . I would say it 's a good idea , '' Gates said . Watch Gates nominate Petraeus '' Central Command , which oversees U.S. forces in East Africa , the Middle East and Central Asia , has its headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa , Florida . Gates said Odierno is well known to troops in Iraq , to military leadership and to Iraqis , and `` I believe , in most parts of the world , especially in the Middle East , personal relationships make a difference . '' `` I believe that this arrangement will probably preserve the likelihood of continued momentum and progress , '' Gates said . The defense secretary said he expects to easily win Senate approval for the nominations once they are made by President Bush . He said he had spoken with Sens. Carl Levin , D-Michigan ; John McCain , R-Arizona ; and John Warner , R-Virginia , and `` I do n't really anticipate any problems . '' In a press release Wednesday , McCain praised the move . `` Both of these great generals have served our country with skill and distinction , and I am pleased that they will continue to do so in positions of high responsibility , '' McCain wrote . Gates acknowledged that Fallon 's `` decision to step down was unexpected . '' `` I had intended that Adm. Fallon probably stay on for a third year . His second year would have ended in February , '' he said . `` So I 'm faced with a critical combatant command where a commander is needed -- and a commander who knows what 's going on in the region . '' Asked whether he was using Petraeus `` almost as a finger in the dike '' because of the shortage of Army generals with expertise in counterinsurgency warfare , Gates admitted that there are few Army officers with experience in and knowledge of Iraq . Odierno served as commander of the 4th Infantry Division , the unit that captured former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein . Petraeus was picked in January 2007 to replace Gen. George Casey as the chief commander in Iraq and won Senate confirmation that month . He previously served as head of the U.S. Army Combined Arms Center and as a commander in Iraq , and he was one of the main writers of an Army manual on counterinsurgency efforts . He was seen as the logical choice to replace Fallon . In his new post , he will oversee U.S. forces in all the Middle East , not only Iraq and Afghanistan . `` I recommended him to the president because I am absolutely confident he is the best man for the job , '' Gates said . In testimony to Congress this month , Petraeus said Iranian agents have played a `` destructive role '' in Iraq by backing Shiite militants , called `` special groups '' by the United States . The U.S. believes that Iran 's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force is behind the support for militants . `` Unchecked , the special groups pose the greatest long-term threat to the viability of a democratic Iraq , '' Petraeus testified . Last month , in an interview with CNN 's Kyra Phillips in Baghdad , Petraeus acknowledged some `` friction '' between himself and Fallon in the past year , but `` actually , over the last six months or so , our relationship was really very , very good . '' `` There was friction in the beginning . He has a different job than I have , '' Petraeus said . `` There can be understandable differences of your take , if you will , on a situation . As they say in politics and government 101 , where you stand on an issue sometimes depends on where you sit in the organization , and we sit in different chairs . '' E-mail to a friend CNN 's Jamie McIntyre contributed to this report .", "question": "Who would oversee all forces in Middle East ?", "answer": "Army Gen. David Petraeus"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- David Beckham was upstaged on the day his AC Milan future was finally resolved as teammate Filippo Inzaghi fired a hat-trick in the 3-0 success over Atalanta at the San Siro on Sunday . David Beckham congratulates hat-trick hero Filippo Inzaghi as the San Siro enjoys a double celebration . Milan confirmed in a brief statement a deal had been reached with Los Angeles Galaxy over England international Beckham . `` AC Milan announces that the player David Beckham will remain at the club until June 30 , 2009 , '' it read . The 33-year-old midfielder will then return to the United States to play for the Galaxy between July and October . `` I 'm grateful to both clubs for allowing this dream to come true , '' Beckham said in a statement posted on www.gazzetta.it . What do think of Beckham 's move to play in the U.S. and Italy ? `` It will enable me to play for Milan and the Galaxy in the same season , with the possibility of been able to keep up my commitments with Major League Soccer and the development of soccer in the United States , something which I 'm very passionate about . '' The deal follows weeks of negotiations between the two clubs during which Milan baulked at the size of the transfer fee Galaxy were demanding -- thought to be around # 12million . Galaxy 's chief executive , Tim Lieweke , admits the deal is one which suits both clubs . `` I 'm sorry that it had to go for so long , for him and for us and particularly for the fans , '' he told the Los Angeles Times . `` This is a good solution . It allows him to finish the season with Milan . We will see him in July . '' Coach Carlo Ancelotti admits Beckham has exceeded all expectations during his first two months as an AC Milan player . `` Beckham has done more than we could have possibly expected from him , '' Ancelotti told PA Sport . `` He has settled in very well with the squad and given a huge contribution up to now . `` He is very professional and we are all very , very happy that he is staying . '' He added : `` The aim was to keep him until June 30 and we have done that . He is very happy with the solution that has been found and we will make the most of having him now and then we will see . '' Sunday 's victory gave Milan a five-point gap over fourth-placed Fiorentina , who lost 2-0 at home to Palermo . Ancelotti said Inzaghi had helped lift the club out of a crisis after their UEFA Cup exit . `` He gave us a real helping hand . It was a tough match and for most of the first half Atalanta caused us problems , '' he said . `` Then Pippo 's ability to find the right place to be in allowed us to end the match well . We were in a crisis and now I hope that this result has put an end to the crisis . '' Only the top three in Serie A will go straight into next season 's Champions League group stages with the fourth place finisher having to negotiate two qualifying rounds . With his contract uncertainty behind him , Beckham seemed to have a new lease of life and he was even given a free role behind forwards Inzaghi and Pato by Ancelotti . The former England captain dictated the play and helped open the way for Milan to take a seventh-minute lead when Marek Jankulovski firied across goal for the unmarked Inzaghi to score . Milan had to wait until the 71st minute for Inzaghi 's second . He beat the offside trap to latch onto Pato 's chip and take the ball around Consigli before slotting home . Moment 's later Inzaghi was once again in the right place at the right time to tap in Gianluca Zambrotta 's pass from close range . After that Ancelotti took both Inzaghi and Beckham off to give the fans the chance to show their appreciation for both players . There was no change to the top three in Serie A as Inter Milan and Juventus both won on Saturday , 2-0 at Genoa and 1-0 at Torino respectively . Serie A top scorer Marco Di Vaio also scored a hat-trick as Bologna thrashed Sampdoria 3-0 .", "question": "What is the name of the team Beckham usually plays for ?", "answer": "Los Angeles Galaxy"}, {"story_text": "ORLANDO , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Authorities cordoned off the home of missing toddler Caylee Anthony 's grandparents on Thursday , hours after the remains of a small child were found nearby . Investigators have sealed off the Anthony home , which shows a large Caylee poster . The sheriff 's office in Orange County , Florida , said it is seeking a warrant to search the home of George and Cindy Anthony . Sheriff Kevin Beary said the home has been secured `` pending more investigation . '' The house has the `` possibility of being more of a crime scene later , '' he added . A child 's skull was found at about 9:30 a.m. by a utility meter reader who alerted authorities , sheriff 's spokesman Jim Solomons said . Investigators , including those from the Anthony case , rushed to the scene , he added . Watch investigators swarm the scene \u00c2 '' CNN affiliate WFTV reported that the meter reader picked up a plastic bag at the site and a skull fell out . The remains have been removed by the medical examiner and will be sent to the FBI lab at Quantico , Virginia , Sheriff Beary said . The agency has told its lab analysts that the case is top priority , Beary added . `` If they have to work through the weekend , they 'll work through the weekend . '' `` Bottom line , it 's real simple , folks , '' Beary said . `` We 've recovered this human skull , it appears to be that of a small child , and now the investigation continues . We 've got a lot of lab work to do , a lot of DNA work to do , a lot of crime scene work to do . We could be here all night . '' Watch the sheriff talk about what needs to be done \u00c2 '' Prosecutors have asked police not to disclose many details surrounding the discovery , Beary said . Caylee Anthony , 3 , has been missing since June in a case that has received national attention . Casey Anthony , the child 's 22-year-old mother , was charged last month with murder and other offenses . She is being held at the Orange County Jail . The area where the remains were found had been searched as part of the investigation into Caylee 's disappearance , he said . But the precise spot where a county meter reader found them -- `` 45 , 50 , 60 feet back '' from the street -- was flooded at the time of the search . No clothes were found with the remains , Beary said . Asked whether the remains could belong to another child , Beary said , `` Not that we know of , but that 's always a possibility , and that 's why we 've got a lot of work to do on this case still . '' Earlier , authorities said the Anthony family had been notified of the discovery . The remains were found `` in very close proximity '' to the Anthony home , Solomons said . View a map of where the remains were found \u00c2 '' An attorney for Casey Anthony filed legal papers Thursday afternoon seeking a court order to preserve all evidence collected , and to permit the defense to conduct its own forensic testing . A hearing has been scheduled for Friday morning . In a court hearing earlier Thursday , 9th Circuit Judge Stan Strickland postponed Casey Anthony 's trial at the request of defense attorney Jose Baez . The attorney said he had not received all the evidence due him from prosecutors and was not ready to proceed with the January 5 trial . Baez asked Strickland whether the trial could be delayed until March . The judge scheduled a hearing January 15 to consider a new trial date as well as a possible change of venue . Casey Anthony remains in protective custody and has no contact with other inmates , corrections officials said . `` She has been seen by a Corrections Health Services psychologist and her status was reviewed , '' officials said in a statement , adding Anthony was under psychological observation -- which is not the same as suicide watch . Baez arrived at the jail just before noon Thursday and stayed about an hour and a half , officials said . Prosecutors said this month that they would not seek the death penalty against Casey Anthony . If convicted of murder , she could be sentenced to life in prison . Authorities have said Casey Anthony waited about a month before telling her family that Caylee was gone . Cindy Anthony -- Caylee 's grandmother and Casey Anthony 's mother -- called the Orange County sheriff 's office July 15 , saying her daughter would not tell her where Caylee was . When questioned , Casey Anthony gave conflicting statements to police , including some that were later disproved , according to hundreds of documents and investigative reports released in the case . She claimed that she dropped Caylee off with a baby-sitter , but when police checked out her story , they learned that the address Casey Anthony supplied belonged to an apartment that had been vacant for weeks . The woman Casey Anthony named as her baby-sitter told police she did not know her . Investigators have said that cadaver dogs picked up the scent of death in Anthony 's car , as well as in her parents ' backyard . They also said air quality tests conducted by the FBI found evidence consistent with human decomposition and chloroform in the car 's trunk . A neighbor told police Anthony had asked to borrow a shovel . Also , an analysis of Anthony 's computer found that she had visited Web sites discussing chloroform and had done Internet searches on missing children , according to information released in the case . `` There is n't a motive , and they have n't found a motive , '' Cindy Anthony said Wednesday night on CNN 's `` Larry King Live . '' Watch Cindy Anthony insist her daughter is innocent \u00c2 '' She added , `` They told us they thought it was an accident , and she 's scared and tried to cover it up . They do n't feel there 's a motive . '' Cindy Anthony stressed that five searches for the girl 's body have `` come up with nothing . There 's nothing that they have found that , you know , has given them any evidence that Caylee is no longer with us . '' The Anthonys said they believe that the girl is still alive and that someone has her , noting several reports of sightings . Last month , Strickland denied prosecutors ' request to impose a gag order in Anthony 's case , saying he could not state that continued publicity would pose a threat to her trial or even that a gag order would stem the flood of media attention . CNN 's John Couwels and `` Nancy Grace '' producer Natisha Lance contributed to this story .", "question": "What are the names of Caylee Anthony 's grandparents ?", "answer": "George and Cindy"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sir Edmund Hillary has been laid to rest in New Zealand after thousands paid tribute to a mountaineer whose conquest of Mt Everest in 1953 was one of the 20th century 's defining moments . A last farewell to Sir Edmund Hillary . Guests filled Auckland 's Holy Trinity Anglican Cathedral and an overflow area next door for a service . Among the guests were politicians , mountaineers and friends . Lady Hillary sat with family and Prime Minister Helen Clark . In the congregation were members of Nepal 's Sherpa community and Buddhist monks . In front of them , Hillary 's coffin was draped in a New Zealand flag and covered in wreaths . See photos of the funeral service '' As the service began , Sherpas laid Tibetan prayer scarves on the coffin . In Nepal , schools were due to ring bells as the service started . Hillary 's son , Peter , told the congregation : `` Adventure was compulsory growing up in the Hillary household . He took us to the most extraordinary places . '' His daughter , Sarah spoke of a childhood where Sir Edmund was planning expeditions , and coming home to a family eager to see him again . `` When asked at primary school what my father did , I was unable to find an answer . '' Clark said : `` He was a role model for a generation of New Zealanders ... We mourn as a nation because we know we are saying goodbye to a friend . '' On Monday , New Zealanders filed past Hillary 's casket as they paid final respects in Auckland 's Holy Trinity Anglican Cathedral . Four soldiers , rifles at rest , stood guard as ordinary New Zealanders said goodbye to a national hero , whose achievements are known around the world . Hillary 's widow attended the tribute , which featured Maori song and dance . Clark , called it a celebration of a `` very great '' life . Hillary , who was 88 , died at Auckland City Hospital on January 11 . On May 29 , 1953 , Hillary and Tenzing Norgay , a Sherpa guide , became the first men to climb the 29,035 feet to the top of Everest and safely return . Hillary , who served during World War II in the Royal New Zealand Air Force , began climbing while in high school and traveled to the central Himalayas to join a British party exploring the southern face of Everest in 1951 . He returned in 1953 , when he and Norgay made their ascent -- spending 15-30 minutes at the summit . He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II on his return to England , but continued exploring -- reaching the South Pole by tractor in 1958 , joining the first group to climb Antarctica 's Mount Herschel in 1967 and boating east Himalayan rivers and the Ganges . His Himalayan Trust has helped build schools , hospitals and airstrips in Nepal since 1961 . He was also a strong supporter of environmental causes and worked to improve the lives of Nepal 's Sherpas . E-mail to a friend", "question": "Who were the first men to climb Mount Everest ?", "answer": "Hillary and Tenzing Norgay"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Not only is Tetsuya Kumakawa the greatest ever Japanese ballet dancer , he is one of the best the world has ever seen . His athletic grace has won him fans wherever he has performed , and his dedication to the art continues to bring ballet to new audiences . Capable of soaring leaps and flawless turns , Tetsuya `` Teddy '' Kumakawa has thrilled audiences the world over . Founded in 1998 , his K-Ballet company has built on the success he acheived at the Royal Ballet in Covent Garden , London . Born in Sapporo on Hokkaido -- Japan 's North Island -- in 1972 , Kumakawa took up ballet after seeing his eight year-old cousin , Hironao perform at school in Sapporo . Like any 10 year old boy , his new hobby had to compete with other activities -- he also enjoyed kendo , baseball and drawing -- but it was ballet that he really fell in love with . From a young age Kumakawa had been keen to see the world and the arrival of foreign guest tutors at his school only reinforced those desires . But it was Swiss ballet teacher Hans Meister 's visit to Hokkaido that proved to be a turning point in Kumakawa 's nascent career . Meister encouraged him to travel and recommended that he attend the Royal Ballet School -LRB- RBS -RRB- in London or the Canadian National Ballet School . Kumakawa was just 15 years old when he left home to take up a place at the RBS . Less than two years later , in January 1989 , he won both the Gold Medal and the newly established Prince Takamado Prize at the prestigious Prix de Lausanne in Switzerland . He was without question the star of the competition , producing soaring leaps in a performance from ` Don Quixote ' . In the spring of 1989 he turned professional , becoming the first Asian dancer to join the Royal Ballet Company -LRB- RBC -RRB- -- his first solo part was the leading mandolin player in `` Romeo and Juliet . '' In June he won the Classical Ballet Prize at the Eurovision Young Dancer of the Year competition held in Paris . Kumakawa experienced a meteoric rise through the ranks of the RBC . He quickly became a Soloist , dancing the Act 1 pas de trois in Tchaikovsky 's ` Swan Lake ' and completed a memorable performance as the Bronze Idol in La Bayad\u00e8re -- a cameo role that showcased his extraordinary jumping ability . The following season he was chosen for the role of the Fool in the premiere of Kenneth Macmillan 's ` The Prince and the Pagodas ' . In 1991 he was promoted to First Soloist and was a Principal dancer by 1993 . So developed a mutual love affair between Kumakawa , his new fans and his adoptive city . `` I was so pleased to participate in British culture , '' he told The Japan Times in 2004 . By the age of 26 ` Teddy ' , as he had become known to his friends in the UK -- ` kuma ' means ` bear ' in Japanese -- had danced the full repertoire of classical and modern roles at the RBC . The man who had wowed London audiences with his acrobatic jumps and audacious turns was about to leap into a new chapter of his life . In 1998 he left the Royal Ballet to found his own company -- the K-Ballet -- back home in Tokyo . It was a highly controversial move at the time . Not only had he upped sticks in the middle of a season , he also took five of the Royal Ballet 's star male performers with him to Japan . The British Press and the ballet fraternity were not impressed . Greeted as a returning hero in his native country , Kumakawa took on the roles of leading dancer , teacher , artistic director and company manager simultaneously . But despite the formidable workload and responsibility the new K-Ballet flourished , fostering a wider interest in Japanese ballet . In 2004 , Kumakawa established the K-Ballet School . The same year , the K-Ballet became the first Japanese ballet company to perform at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York . A career-threatening knee injury , suffered whilst on a K-Ballet tour of Japan in May 2007 has temporarily sidelined Kumakawa from performing . But he expects to be back on stage next year , delighting audiences with virtuoso performances once again . In the meantime , Kumakawa -- who continues to enjoy pop star status in Japan -- continues to pass on his expertise to a new generation of dancers . E-mail to a friend", "question": "What city is the Royal Ballet ?", "answer": "Covent Garden , London"}, {"story_text": "ATHENS , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A wanted University of Georgia professor killed himself with a single gunshot to the head after he dug his own grave and covered it with brush , police said Tuesday . George Zinkhan , a professor at the University of Georgia , disappeared after the slayings of his wife and two others . The manhunt for George Zinkhan ended Saturday when cadaver dogs discovered his body in Georgia 's Clarke County , about a mile from where his red Jeep Liberty was found more than a week earlier , police said . `` Zinkhan 's body was found in a small dugout area in the ground , covered with leaves and debris , and it was apparent that he took significant steps to try to conceal his body from being located , '' a statement from Athens police said . Law enforcement officials determined that Zinkhan , 57 , committed suicide after killing his wife , Marie Bruce , 47 , Thomas Tanner , 40 , and Ben Teague , 63 , outside a theater in Athens on April 25 . Another University of Georgia professor , Barbara Carroll , believes that she was also targeted by Zinkhan but escaped because she was at a movie theater the day of the slayings . In an e-mail obtained by CNN , Carroll had warned her colleagues at the university 's Terry College of Business that Zinkhan , a marketing professor , was `` dangerous . '' The e-mail was sent after the shootings but before Zinkhan 's body was found . Carroll could not be reached Tuesday , but in her e-mail she said that law enforcement officials surrounded her house early on the morning of May 1 after authorities found MapQuest directions to her house , printed on April 24 , in Zinkhan 's Jeep . She said she was advised to go into hiding . `` I do not believe Zinkhan had a map to my house for any reason other than he planned to kill me as well on April 25 , '' Carroll wrote . `` This also suggests premeditation for the three murders he did commit . By the grace of God , I was at the movies all Saturday afternoon after being at school in my office -LRB- like a sitting duck -RRB- all that morning . '' All three of Zinkhan 's victims were associated with the Town and Gown Players theater group , which was holding a reunion picnic at the time of the shootings . Police did not give any motive for the slayings but said in a statement that Zinkhan and his wife were having marital problems . Zinkhan targeted Tanner and shot him first , the statement added . Authorities said Zinkhan arrived while the Town and Gown event was under way and got into a disagreement with Bruce . Police believe that he left , went to his car -- where the couple 's children apparently were waiting -- and returned with two handguns . In addition to the three deaths , two people were wounded , police said . After the shootings , Zinkhan , a marketing professor at the Terry College of Business , drove to his hometown of Bogart , Georgia , and left his children -- ages 8 and 10 -- with a neighbor . Authorities put out bulletins across the nation for Zinkhan after the shootings and revealed that he had purchased an airline ticket in March for a May 2 flight to the Netherlands , where he owned a house . But Zinkhan never showed up at the airport .", "question": "What was Zinkhan suspected of doing ?", "answer": "slayings of his wife and two others"}, {"story_text": "MONT TREMBLANT , Quebec -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Natasha Richardson came to Mont Tremblant ski resort in eastern Canada last month for what was supposed to be a skiing getaway . Actress Natasha Richardson died after suffering an epidural hematoma in a fall during a ski lesson . But what she may not have known is some doctors have been arguing that if a person here is in need of urgent care at a medical trauma center , he or she may not be able to get there fast enough . The only way to get to the closest trauma center from here is to drive 2 1/2 hours to Montreal . No helicopter medical service is available . The Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail obtained 911 recordings from Monday , March 16 , when Richardson fell on a beginners slope on a sunny , clear day at the resort . The first request for help came in at 12:43 p.m. , an urgent call that a woman had fallen on the slopes . That woman was Richardson . Seventeen minutes later , at 1 p.m. , an ambulance arrived , but Richardson had been able to walk away from the fall and was headed back to her hotel room . Ten minutes later the ambulance was told to stand down , the call canceled . What Richardson could n't have known is that she suffered an epidural hematoma . It 's a condition where a blood clot forms between the skull and the outer layer of the brain . Too much pressure can cause brain damage and even death . Symptoms include dizziness , headaches and nausea . `` The person seems to be fine and walks it off , and that 's one of the problems with an injury such as this , '' said Dr. Liam Durkan , a neurologist with the Montreal Neurology Institute . `` Anytime there is any sort of process expanding in the skull , which is a closed space , once the symptoms are apparent , it can be a matter of 30 minutes to an hour to 90 minutes before there is a major deterioration . '' Two hours after her initial fall , while Richardson was back in her hotel room , she was feeling the symptoms . The clock was ticking and she needed to get to a trauma center fast . With the closest trauma center 2 1/2 hours away , time may have been running out on her . It 's recommended that anyone with an epidural hematoma get to the trauma center within 30-90 minutes . At 2:59 p.m. , another ambulance was dispatched to the resort . This time , the paramedics went inside and worked on Richardson for 33 minutes before transporting her to the closest hospital an hour away , but it is not a trauma center . Inside the ambulance , Richardson drifted in and out of consciousness . `` It is a rapidly deteriorating situation and the distance might have been just too much by ambulance , road ambulance or air ambulance . It 's difficult to say , '' said Durkan , who did not treat Richardson . Depending on the severity of the injury at the time , he said , even helicopter services may have been too late . Some trauma doctors have argued for air transport here since the mid-1990s . They say the safest and fastest way to move anyone suffering a trauma injury such as Richardson 's is by helicopter . Helicopter transport is common practice in the United States and other areas of Canada . But in the Quebec region , very few places have access to air transport . In an open letter to the citizens of Quebec sent to the Montreal Gazette , Dr. Michael Churchill Smith , director of professional services at the Montreal General Hospital , said incidents like Natasha Richardson 's should serve as a wake-up call to Quebec . `` It is no longer morally acceptable for our citizens who , in the moment of their greatest needs , do not have access to a rapid transit system that gives them the best chance to not only survive , but to survive with a quality of life . '' Daniel LeFrancois , director of Quebec 's pre-hospital care , told the Gazette that cost is prohibitive when a one-hour flight costs $ 6,000 . It 's a question of resources and priorities focusing on `` the biggest gain for the biggest need , '' he said . Richardson was taken from Mont Tremblant to a hospital in St. Agathe , which does not have the facilities to help someone with a severe head trauma . Richardson was transferred to the trauma center in Montreal about 7 p.m. , more than six hours after her initial fall . Twenty-four hours later she was flown to a New York hospital , where she was taken off life support and died . No one can answer the question whether a helicopter service could have saved Richardson 's life . She refused services immediately after her fall , but with the clock ticking immediately after she felt symptoms from her injury , 2 1/2 hours may have been too far away even if she 'd gotten help immediately .", "question": "With epidural hematoma , what is survival window without treatment ?", "answer": "30 minutes to an hour to 90 minutes"}, {"story_text": "San Francisco -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- iSad . That was the reaction of many as millions took to the web with the news of the death of 56-year-old Steve Jobs . Facebook and Twitter messages were filled with links and anecdotes about the impact technology -- and more specifically , Apple -- had on users ' lives . Apple invited people to email their thoughts , memories and condolences after announcing Jobs ' death Wednesday , saying the company lost a `` visionary and creative genius and the world has lost an amazing human being . '' CNN 's iReport is also collecting reactions . Jobs ' death jolted a generation that has never known a world without a cellular phone , and it elicited reactions from those who watched Apple grow from a Silicon Valley garage startup in 1976 to today 's leading tech company . `` RIP , Steve Jobs , '' read many Facebook messages . Still others invoked the visionary 's signature stage pitch , `` And one more thing ... Thank you . '' Many tweeted simply : iSad or iHeaven . `` Oh my God , dad . Steve Jobs has died . He 's my generation 's Walt Disney , '' 20-year-old Lauren Harrington of Atlanta told her father upon learning Wednesday night that Jobs had died . Celebrities , corporate executives and politicians , including President Barack Obama , paid tribute to Jobs . `` Our parents had JFK , we had Steve Jobs . Edison gave us electricity , Jobs gave us the Jetsons in real life , '' tweeted director and actor Kevin Smith . `` We lost an icon today . Mourn him . '' Actor Ashton Kutcher tweeted : `` Sending love & light to everyone @Apple & the entire Jobs family . Today we lost a Giant who will be missed even by those who did n't know him . I never thought I could be so busted up about the loss of someone I never met . '' Obama hailed Jobs as one of America 's greatest innovators , a man `` brave enough to think differently , bold enough to believe he could change the world , and talented enough to do it . '' `` The world has lost a visionary . And there may be no greater tribute to Steve 's success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented , '' Obama said in a statement released Wednesday . Obama , an avowed BlackBerry fan , revealed this week to ABC 's George Stephanopoulos that Jobs personally gave him an advanced copy of the iPad 2 . House Majority Leader Rep. Eric Cantor -LRB- R-Virginia -RRB- tweeted : `` There is not a day that goes by , and often not an hour , that a Steve Jobs ' invention does not better my family 's life . Thank you Steve . '' The flood of messages slowed Twitter to a crawl at times or produced error messages saying the site was over capacity . On the social networking sites , many quoted from Jobs ' heartfelt commencement address at Stanford University in 2005 , where he first detailed his battle with pancreatic cancer . Actor Hill Harper , paraphrasing the speech , tweeted : `` Do what you believe is great work . And the only way to do great work is to love what you do ! ... Do n't settle . '' Apple flew the flags at its Cupertino , California , office at half-staff , and an impromptu memorial sprang up at the venue as people arrived with flowers , letters and mementos , CNN affiliates reported . Several employees tweeted messages containing only the Apple logo . The many websites devoted to Apple rumors and products placed large banners in memory of the company 's co-founder . The alternative-culture blog Boing Boing revamped its design in honor of Jobs to resemble retro Macintosh software . Wired painted its front page black , with a shadowed picture of Steve Jobs in the center . Google 's co-founders posted statements about Jobs ' importance to them personally and to the industry , and underneath the search box on Google.com , the company added : `` Steve Jobs , 1955 - 2011 . '' Research in Motion , from its BlackBerry Twitter account , called Jobs `` a great visionary and respected competitor . '' Microsoft 's Bill Gates , who once worked with Jobs and later competed against him in the mobile world , said on his Twitter account : `` For those of us lucky enough to get to work with Steve , it 's been an insanely great honor . I will miss Steve immensely , '' \u00e2 $ '' Bill Gates . And two men , whose social networking sites gained in popularity thanks in part to Jobs ' mobile-computing revolution , paid their respects to Apple 's mogul . In a message , Facebook founder , Mark Zuckerberg said : `` Steve , thank you for a being a mentor and a friend . Thanks for showing that what you build can change the world . I will miss you . '' Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey wrote simply : `` Thank you . '' CNN 's Mark Milian , Douglas Hyde , Ed Payne , Chelsea J. Carter and Kevin Bohn contributed to this report .", "question": "Where are Apple 's headquarters located ?", "answer": "Cupertino , California"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Climate protesters demonstrating against Donald Trump 's plans for a sports resort broke into a Scottish airport Tuesday , setting up a small golf course and scaling the roof of a terminal building . Climate protesters broke into Aberdeen Airport in the early hours of Tuesday to demonstrate against plans for expansion . Flights at Aberdeen airport were returning to normal by midday after the activists breached the security fence overnight , the airport authority said . Nine members of Plane Stupid , which campaigns against airport expansion and aviation-related climate change , entered the airport grounds at about 2:15 a.m. Tuesday -LRB- 9:15 p.m. Monday ET -RRB- , the group said . A spokesman for the airport called the protest `` dangerous and highly irresponsible . '' By mid-morning , the seven members on the ground had been arrested , but the two protesters remained on the roof , group spokesman Leo Mullay told CNN . He explained that the group is against plans to expand the one-runway airport for the American millionaire 's planned golf resort in the region . `` It 's going to cause a huge increase in emissions , '' Mullay said . `` There 's simply no capacity within our carbon budget for more flying . '' Trump 's plans call for a golf resort to be built on 1,400 acres along Scotland 's northeast coast , just north of Aberdeen , according to the resort 's Web site . Trump International Golf Links , Scotland , is to feature two championship-caliber golf courses and a five-star luxury hotel . Trump 's resort is in the planning stages , project director Neil Hobday told CNN . But he rejected the idea that the airport is expanding because of the Trump resort . `` The runway issue has been going on long before we got here , '' Hobday told CNN . It 's `` nothing to do with us . They were going to lengthen the runway whether we were here or not . '' The protest caused a backlog of flights at the airport , a major gateway for Scotland and one of Europe 's busiest heliports , airport officials said . Outbound flights resumed just after 9 a.m. -LRB- 4 a.m. ET -RRB- , but there remained some delays and cancellations , according to the airport 's Web site . `` Despite the runway being open and available for use , the earlier protest is likely to cause some knock-on disruption during the course of the day and passengers are being asked to check the status of their flight , '' an airport statement said .", "question": "Who is planning for a 1,400-acre golf resort along Scotland 's NE coast ?", "answer": "Donald Trump 's"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- AOL Autos -RRB- -- At the 2009 Detroit Auto Show , Chrysler , Mercedes-Benz , Toyota and MINI showed the world what electric vehicles of the future will look like . And the future of driving looks fun . The Dodge Circuit EV can blast from 0-to-60 mph in around 4 seconds . Those in the know realize that sometime in the future , the vast majority of light cars and trucks in the US will feature electric final drive systems . The motors used in these systems will be powered by batteries , fuel cells , on-board generators , and perhaps even the sun . But this open issue does n't change the inevitability of this reality . Given our current economic times , reality demands practical , tangible , and achievable ideas of what electric vehicles -LRB- or `` EVs '' for short -RRB- might actually look like . This is it ... Chrysler Three of the four electric vehicles Chrysler showed in Detroit , Michigan , were shown at other events and even to Washington bureaucrats . Each of these vehicles is a running prototype , not some pie-in-the-sky-we 'll - never-build that idea . ENVI is the special group of engineers at Chrysler that develops the company 's EVs . To date , the ENVI group has developed four electrically powered models , each quite different from the other : a Dodge Circuit EV sports car -LRB- rear-wheel drive -RRB- , a Chrysler Town & Country minivan -LRB- front-wheel-drive -RRB- , a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited -LRB- all-wheel-drive -RRB- , and now a Jeep Patriot -LRB- front-wheel-drive -RRB- . Chrysler promises to offer at least one of these models in 2010 , and three more by 2013 . AOL Autos : Dodge Circuit EV photos Chrysler approaches electric vehicles with simple plug-and-play engineering . Every one of their vehicles uses similar electric drive motors -LRB- only varying in power output -RRB- , advanced lithium-ion batteries , and a power management controller . Each plugs in to 110 - or 220-volt household outlets for recharging . The Chrysler and both Jeeps use an on-board range-extending battery charger -LRB- a generator -RRB- . This generator automatically turns on after the vehicle 's initial batter charge has been spent -LRB- usually within a range of 40 miles -RRB- , supplying extra voltage that give these three vehicles an estimated range of approximately 400 miles . The generator is powered by a small gasoline-powered engine that runs with exceptional efficiency . This technology is similar in concept to what General Motors has shown in their Chevrolet Volt , a vehicle that should be ready for production in 2010 . AOL Autos : Cadillac Converj photos The Dodge Circuit carries a larger battery pack and no generator , so its range on the charge it carries is approximately 150-200 miles . Its large battery pack combined with compact dimensions and the exceptional torque provided by its electric motor blast the car from zero-to-sixty mph in around four seconds , exceptionally fast for any sports car regardless of engine type . Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz used the 2009 Detroit Auto Show to showcase their Concept BlueZERO vehicles . The Mercedes approach was to develop one efficient body style , and then equip it with three different electric drive packages . AOL Autos : Mercedes Stirling Moss photos Much of the hardware for the all-electric front-wheel-drive propulsion units is built into what Mercedes calls `` sandwich-floor '' architecture that the company uses on several production cars . The design helps keep heavy components mounted low on the chassis for better handling , enhanced safety , and maximized interior room . All three Concept BlueZERO vehicles include electric drive and batteries . The E-Cell uses a large battery pack that is said to deliver a range of 120 miles . The F-Cell utilizes a smaller battery pack , but supplements the vehicle 's range with a hydrogen fuel cell . The fuel cell produces electricity to recharge the battery pack that extends cruising range to 240 miles . The E-Cell Plus , with a range of approximately 360 miles , is the distance champion . The key is the on-board generator powered by tiny 1-liter turbo-charged three-cylinder gasoline engine . The engine and generator are located in the rear of the BlueZERO . For the record , when you see photos of these cars together , the E-Cell is lime green , the F-Cell is mint green , and the E-Cell Plus is orange . Toyota Adding to its line of popular hybrid vehicles in the U.S. , Toyota just confirmed plans to add as many as 10 new gas/electric hybrid vehicles in the next few years . On their way toward that goal , Toyota showed their all-new , third-generation Prius plus the new Lexus HS250H . AOL Autos : 2010 Toyota Prius photos Important to this story , Toyota also committed to selling a battery powered electric car in 2012 for the U.S. market . Toyota debuted what their all-electric vehicle might be at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show , and it 's an urban commuter called the FT-EV . The little four-seater is based on Toyota 's popular iQ , a car that 's already a hit in Japan . The good news is that the iQ is a real car , so the FT-EV will not be a glorified golf cart or a neighborhood vehicle with severely limited capabilities . The claimed range for the FT-EV is 50 miles . As we went to press , details were still sketchy about the FT-EV 's running gear . As Toyota releases more details , we 'll bring them to you . Mini While standard MINI models like the Cooper are comparatively easy on gas compared to larger cars , under the ownership of parent company BMW , MINI is testing the limits of how green a MINI can be . AOL Autos : 2010 BMW Z4 photos Perhaps following the performance of the stunt cars used in The Italian Job -LRB- 2003 -RRB- , BMW decided to investigate a battery-powered MINI . They introduced the MINI E coupe last November at the Los Angeles Auto Show and the car was on display again in Detroit . The `` charged '' MINI E can run up to 150 miles on a full battery pack . Charging is accomplished through standard 110 - or 220-volt outlets . The electrified MINI weighs 600 pounds more than a standard MINI Cooper and because of the bulk of the required battery pack , the interior seats only two . Performance from the 204-horsepower motor equals the gas-powered MINI , with a 0-60 mph run in 8.5 seconds . BMW will produce only 500 MINI Es for the United States -LRB- if it were easy to make electric MINIs , they 'd make more -RRB- . The limited-production run will be split between New York and L.A. on one-year closed-end leases . After the leases expire , BMW will ship the MINIs back to Germany for evaluation . This scenario mimics what General Motors did with their EV1 electric vehicle about a decade ago .", "question": "How many miles can the charged MINI E run ?", "answer": "to 150 miles"}, {"story_text": "London -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A complete set of 100 etchings by Pablo Picasso -- never before seen in public -- is to go on display at the British Museum after an `` extraordinary '' $ 1.5 million gift . Businessman Hamish Parker -- a long-term fan of the London museum -- donated the entire Vollard Suite in memory of his father , Major Horace Parker , who died last year . The Vollard Suite -- one of the 20th century 's most highly prized collections of etchings -- was created by Picasso between 1930 and 1937 . It features pictures of the artist 's young lover , Marie-Therese Walter , depictions of the Minotaur , the half-man-half-beast from classical myth who would become a regular feature in Picasso 's works , and also a number of portraits of art collector Ambroise Vollard , for whom the collection is named . A spokeswoman for the museum said Parker -- a friend of the prints and drawings room -- had learned of the museum 's hopes of acquiring the suite of etchings at an event there last year . `` We already owned a few individual plates from the collection , five or so out of the 100 , and one of those was on display , '' she told CNN . `` Stephen Coppel , the prints and drawings curator , had placed a note beside it explaining that it was a long-term ambition of the British Museum to own the complete set . `` But it was pie-in-the-sky stuff really -- we hoped to be able to add to the collection piece by piece over time . Never in our wildest dreams did we imagine it would happen so quickly . '' After his father died , Parker surprised museum bosses by telling them he planned to offer them the money to buy the full set , in memory of the Major . `` It was very unexpected , and incredibly generous , '' the spokeswoman said . `` We are delighted . '' The Vollard Suite will go on display at the British Museum in London from May 3 to September 2 , 2012 , the first time a complete set of the etchings has been shown in the UK for half a century . The collection will be shown alongside examples of the classical sculpture , Rembrandt etchings and Goya prints which inspired Picasso in creating it . . The suite was commissioned by Parisian collector Ambroise Vollard , who planned to print and sell editions of it ; however he died in a car accident in 1939 before the task was completed . After his death most of the prints were sold to fellow art dealer Henri Petiet . The British Museum 's set , which has never been shown in public before and is in pristine condition , was bought from the Petiet family .", "question": "What etchings were donated to the British Museum ?", "answer": "by Pablo Picasso"}, {"story_text": "LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The British government announced Friday that more than 4,000 former Gurkha soldiers are entitled to settle in Britain , but Gurkha supporters quickly denounced the measure as meaningless . Former Gurkha solider Tulbahadur Pun was awarded Britain 's highest honor for bravery , the Victoria Cross . Supporters have fought for years for more rights for the Gurkhas , Nepalese soldiers who have been part of the British Army for nearly 200 years . Gurkhas have fought alongside the British Armed Forces in every conflict in that period , including both world wars , and are known for their ferocity and pride . Despite their centuries of service , Gurkhas were not given the right to settle in the United Kingdom until 2004 . And even then the order applied only to those discharged after the British handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997 , when the Gurkhas Brigade moved from Hong Kong to Britain . The government 's announcement Friday applies to all Gurkhas , including those who left the army before 1997 , if they meet one of five criteria . It also says around 6,000 of the Gurkhas ' dependents may be able to apply for settlement in Britain as well . `` The guidance honors the service , commitment , and gallantry of those who served with the Gurkhas Brigade , '' Border and Immigration Minister Phil Woolas said in a written statement . The Gurkha Justice Campaign , however , said the government 's criteria for the Gurkhas ' resettlement are unrealistic and too difficult for many of the soldiers to meet . `` Only a tiny fraction of the Gurkhas who retired before 1997 will win settlement rights under the new policy , '' the campaign said . `` The campaign for full Gurkha justice will now be taken back into Parliament and the courts . The government needs to know they will have a huge campaign against them who will commit to righting this wrong . '' The High Court ruled last September that the 1997 cut-off date was fair , but added that caseworkers needed revised guidance on deciding the cases of Gurkhas discharged before that date . Under the guidance , Gurkhas discharged before 1997 must meet one of five criteria to be considered for resettlement in Britain : \u2022 Have three years ' continuous residence in Britain , before or after service ; \u2022 Have close family settled in the United Kingdom ; \u2022 Have an award for gallantry , leadership , or bravery while in the brigade ; \u2022 Have a chronic medical condition attributable to or made worse by army service ; \u2022 Have served for 20 or more years . Actress Joanna Lumley , whose father served in the Gurkhas while she was a girl , has been an outspoken campaigner for their rights . She said the new criteria are harsher than she expected . `` They 've given five bullet points which virtually can not be met by the ordinary Gurkha soldier , '' Lumley told reporters Friday . `` This one page of criteria has taken the government four months to come up with . It has made me ashamed of our administration . '' She said most Gurkhas are allowed to stay in the United Kingdom for only two years , so three years of continuous residence is not possible . Most Gurkhas , she said , also have not been allowed to settle in Britain with their families . The requirement for having won an award discriminates against the ordinary soldier who has no award , she said . `` This sends out not only to the Gurkha soldiers , but to our own men fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq , the most appalling message : that unless you have been awarded a medal for gallantry , you 're not a real soldier , '' Lumley said . Only officers are allowed to serve 20 or more years , she said , so most riflemen will not qualify for the service requirement . And proving that an injury is related to army service will be nearly impossible for most , she said . `` How on earth are men who were injured in the 1940s , '50s , '60s going to be able to prove that their long-term chronic illness is attributable to injures received during their service ? '' she said . A Home Office spokesman said the government believes hundreds of Gurkhas will still be eligible to settle in Britain . `` We would not accept that , '' the spokesman said of Lumley 's criticisms . `` We would say that the criteria as we see it is fair and balanced . '' The Gurkha brigade originated in the 19th century with Nepalese soldiers who impressed British imperial troops with their ferocity and military ability . The first Gurkha units were formed in 1815 . They saw action in both world wars and were fundamental to the British military maintaining control of India in the 1800s . Today there are 3,400 troops in the Gurkha brigade , operating from bases in Great Britain . Most recently , Gurkha troops were used in the Persian Gulf War and the Balkan conflicts .", "question": "When did the first Gurkha units form ?", "answer": "1815"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Verizon has been touted as having the biggest , baddest , fastest 4G around . It 's been this way since the carrier debuted its LTE network in late 2010 . But now that AT&T has joined the LTE game , consumers looking for top speeds might consider turning their focus to AT&T instead . If only for a while . Metrico Wireless , a firm that does network and mobile device analytics , took a look at 4G LTE service in the U.S. , focusing on two of the nation 's largest carriers , Verizon and AT&T . The company 's latest report shows that AT&T 's average LTE speeds are better than Verizon 's -LRB- for now at least -RRB- , and that LTE provides more than five times the performance of the carriers ' respective 3G offerings . Metrico used five 4G LTE handsets for its tests : two on AT&T , three on Verizon . On AT&T , the HTC Vivid and Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket were measured . The HTC Thunderbolt , Samsung Droid Charge and Motorola Droid Bionic were tested on Verizon 's network . In stationary download speeds , AT&T 's 4G LTE handsets outperformed those on Verizon , but Metrico believes this disparity is likely due to the fact that Verizon 's LTE service is more established and has significantly more subscribers using data on it . Indeed , as of April , Verizon had over half a million LTE subscribers . AT&T , meanwhile , just launched its LTE network in five markets this summer . But while AT&T 's data speeds were better , web pages actually loaded faster on the three Verizon smartphones tested . `` In general , the subscriber experience is not simply driven by the network or the device , but by the combination of the two , '' the report states . `` Even devices with similar specifications connected to similar network technologies still demonstrate variation in performance . '' This was especially true with regards to video performance . Of the smartphones tested , the Samsung Droid Charge -LRB- on Verizon -RRB- consistently yielded the highest frame delivery rate , while the Motorola Droid Bionic -LRB- also on Verizon -RRB- had the lowest . Also , if you 're really concerned about web page load times , consider this : All carrier-to-carrier comparisons notwithstanding , both AT&T and Verizon handsets delivered web page load times that were 80 to 85 percent shorter on LTE relative to 3G . What about battery life on an LTE device , notoriously reported as being poor ? Well , depending on how you use your device , you may be able to squeeze out a few more hours , as the report found that battery life was heavily related to app use . On the AT&T Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket , you 're going to get 300 to 350 minutes of use out of your device , whether you 're a power user or someone who 's making calls all day long . On the Verizon Droid Bionic , though , those who primarily use their phones for voice calling will gain about 150 minutes of usage over those who spend most of their time on Twitter and Facebook . Verizon 's LTE network is currently the largest in terms of nationwide coverage , but AT&T 's is set to rival it as it expands . And , indeed , we 're finally beginning to see LTE infrastructure build-outs , industry-wide . Joining Metro PCS , Verizon and AT&T in the LTE game is Cricket Wireless , perhaps best known for its budget mobile phone and prepaid plan options . Cricket will offer speeds up to 6 Mbps with a 5 GB data cap . Sprint will begin rolling out its 4G LTE network in mid to late 2012 . Subscribe to WIRED magazine for less than $ 1 an issue and get a FREE GIFT ! Click here !", "question": "What network is set to rival Verizon ?", "answer": "AT&T"}, {"story_text": "LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Thousands of mourners and well-wishers gathered Saturday at a church east of London for the funeral of controversial reality TV star Jade Goody . Jade Goody 's coffin is carried into church for the funeral service in Essex Saturday . The 27-year-old lost a public battle with cervical cancer last month , prompting sympathy and headlines around the world . As Goody 's white coffin was carried into the church at Buckhurst Hill , Essex , east of London , a gospel choir began singing `` Amazing Grace . '' Pallbearers included her husband Jack Tweed , whom she married in February . Send your tributes to Jade Goody . Inside the church the congregation heard Tweed read a poem as well as watching a multimedia tribute to Goody 's life . View image gallery of Jade Goody 's funeral '' Outside thousands of well-wishers gathered in the spring sunshine to watch the funeral service on large TV screens , breaking into spontaneous applause throughout the service . TV pictures showed one young girl with `` R.I.P. Jade '' drawn on her cheek . Read blog from her funeral Addressing the congregation Max Clifford , Goody 's publicist , said : `` She achieved in seven months what doctors , politicians and medical experts can only dream of achieving . Her legacy is a wonderful one . Because of Jade Goody , lots of women have had their lives saved . '' Watch family and fans pay their last respects '' After the service congregation member Peter Holmes , 28 , from St. Albans , north of London , told CNN : `` The service was lovely . The funeral was just what Jade was all about . She was a fun-loving person who always lit up a room with a funny comment . '' Flowers thrown by well-wishers covered the front of the vintage hearse carrying Goody 's coffin as it arrived at the church . Crowds earlier applauded as the cortege slowly made its way through Bermondsey , south London , where Goody grew up amid deprivation and drug abuse . At one point the procession stopped to release a white dove . Wreaths included one in the shape of a pink heart , another that resembled a blue handbag and another shaped like a camera -- reflecting Goody 's love of the limelight . After the funeral friends and family left for a private burial . Goody had burst into the spotlight in the British version of `` Big Brother '' in 2002 but attracted global notoriety five years later when she made racist comments -- for which she later apologized -- to Indian actress Shilpa Shetty . Well-wisher Vicky Scott , a security consultant from Bedfordshire , central England , waiting outside the church before the service , told CNN : `` She had very much to live for and she had achieved so much . She had a tough life and she gave us so much . `` I think she was an inspiration to many women , the way she brought cervical cancer to many women 's minds . '' Clifford said in comments reported by the Press Association that Goody 's mother Jackiey Budden was `` distraught '' and Tweed was `` heartbroken . '' Goody 's two sons , Bobby , 5 , and Freddie , 4 , did not attend the service and are believed to have gone to Australia with their father , TV host Jeff Brazier , according to media reports . Medical officials have reported a big rise in the number of screenings for cervical cancer after Goody 's diagnosis was announced live on India 's version of `` Big Brother '' last August , a phenomenon some have dubbed the `` Jade Goody effect . '' Images of her shrinking frame and bald head dominated the pages of British media after she announced she had just weeks to live . UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown had previously praised Goody 's work in raising awareness of cervical cancer . `` In many years to come , there will be an awful lot of women who 've got an awful lot to thank Jade Goody for , '' he said . Despite her weakening state Goody continued to open her door to the media , saying she needed to keep selling her story to help secure the future of her sons . With Clifford 's help , she organized her wedding to boyfriend Tweed , who had only just been released from prison after serving a sentence for assault , selling the exclusive rights to OK! magazine for a reported $ 970,000 . It was also filmed for her reality TV show . CNN 's Peter Wilkinson contributed to this report .", "question": "What reality TV stars funeral takes place east of London ?", "answer": "Jade Goody"}, {"story_text": "LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Bad dubbing , angry men with extraordinary facial hair , balletic fighting and more blood than you can shake a nunchuck at : just some of the key ingredients to make a perfect kung fu flick . Tony Jaa may be the modern day Bruce Lee , and in `` Ong-bak '' he shows off his impressive skills . Whether it 's a traditional tale of ancient Chinese fighting mystics , or a slickly made , modern bloodfest , kung fu has always been a rich part of cinema . We 've compiled a list of 10 of the best . Do n't agree ? Think we 've missed one ? Share your views by using the Sound Off box below and we 'll publish the best . 1 . Enter the Dragon -LRB- Robert Clouse , 1973 -RRB- Bruce Lee 's last movie before his untimely death , this is him at his very best . A man on a revenge mission , Lee travels to a mysterious island to fight in a deadly tournament hosted by an evil billionaire . Along with being technically amazing -- the nunchucks scene is jaw-dropping -- it 's the most stylish and iconic martial arts film ever made . 2 . Ong-bak -LRB- Prachya Pinkaew , 2003 -RRB- Tony Jaa is a modern master . He has appeared in very few major releases , but has already made a huge impact . `` Ong-bak '' is the perfect showcase for his extraordinary skills : whether he 's fighting a roomful of people or taking part in the most exciting chase we have ever seen -- jumping through rings of barbed wire and sliding under moving cars while doing the splits -- he makes this film every bit the martial arts spectacle . 3 . Wong Fei Hung -LRB- Once Upon a Time in China -RRB- -LRB- Hark Tsui , 1991 -RRB- Part Chinese history , part gripping kung fu movie , this eastern epic has Jet Li demonstrating his talents as the eponymous hero who stands up to invading foreign forces in 19th century China . Armed with a limitless arsenal of martial arts moves , Li takes on masses of gun-toting , badly acting opponents . A visual delight and Jet Li 's best work . 4 . Kill Bill 1 & 2 -LRB- Quentin Tarantino , 2003/2004 -RRB- Quentin Tarantino is a movie geek -- specifically , a B-movie geek -- and kung fu has long held a place in his heart . `` Kill Bill , '' his tribute to the genre , ticks every box : revenge ; a powerful , all-knowing nemesis ; stylish fights , costumes and music ; and blood , lots and lots of blood . 5 . Wo hu cang long -LRB- Crouching Tiger , Hidden Dragon -RRB- -LRB- Ang Lee , 2000 -RRB- Every eye-catching detail of this touching and beautiful film works . A love story with outlaws , witches and Shaolin monks is augmented by breathtaking cinematography and some fantastic performances from Chow Yun Fat , Michelle Yeoh and newcomer Ziyi Zhang . This visual feast tugs at the heart strings better than any karate chop could . 6 . The Karate Kid -LRB- John G. Avildsen , 1984 -RRB- A simple but well-executed plot sees Ralph Macchio 's underdog work his way up an unconventional path to take on the mean and nasty establishment . It spawned a spate of copycat films , while thousands of children signed up to after-school karate ; everyone now knows how to defend themselves by waxing on or off and that the best fighting move is obviously The Crane . Hiya ! 7 . Ging chaat goo si -LRB- Police Story -RRB- -LRB- Jackie Chan , 1985 -RRB- Jackie Chan is probably China 's biggest export to Hollywood , well-known for doing his own death-defying stunts . This is one of the films that got him noticed in the United States . When he fights , Chan is unstoppable : he uses every prop on the set and puts himself in enormous physical danger . Out and out fun . 8 . Shogun Assassin -LRB- Robert Houston , 1980 -RRB- Referenced several times in Tarantino 's `` Kill Bill '' films , this forgotten classic must have set a record for the amount of blood spilt as our hero crosses the country on a revenge mission . Early on , Tomisaburo Wakayama says `` they will pay with rivers of blood '' ; he is n't wrong . Violent and wonderful . 9 . Siu lam juk kau -LRB- Shaolin Soccer -RRB- -LRB- Stephen Chow , 2001 -RRB- Should this be in the best or worst list ? It 's definitely unique . Once described as `` the best kung fu football film of all time , '' this is one of the more ridiculous films of the genre . A group of down-and-out martial arts experts form a five-a-side football team to take on a group of evil , drug-taking clones . It 's as simple , and as silly as that . And it 's one of our guiltiest pleasures . 10 . The Matrix -LRB- Andy and Larry Wachowski , 1999 -RRB- A sci-fi spin on the genre , this modern classic has all the key elements : our hero has superhuman powers ; the bad guys , led by the relentless Agent Smith , form part of a shady , all-powerful organization intent on oppressing humankind ; and the fight scenes are fantastically technical . Against all the odds , it appears Keanu really does know Kung Fu . ... . Do n't agree ? Think we 've missed one ? Read others ' comments and share your views by using the Sound Off box below . ... . And the mainstream films that lacked the killer punch ... Street Fighter -LRB- Steven E. de Souza , 1994 -RRB- Jean-Claude Van Damme has made some good films , really he has . `` Kickboxer '' nearly made it into our top 10 . But this is , by a huge margin , his worst effort . Most depressing , though , is that this was the last major outing for Raul Julia -- not the way he should be remembered . Great game ; terrible film . The Karate Kid , Part III -LRB- John G. Avildsen , 1989 -RRB- The franchise came out of part two with a little credibility intact , but this last installment -- unless you include `` The Next Karate Kid '' -LRB- which no self-respecting `` Karate Kid '' fan would -RRB- -- managed to kill off our last shred of enthusiasm . Where the original might have inspired you to take up karate , this would put you off the sport , and probably kung fu movies too . Bulletproof Monk -LRB- Paul Hunter , 2003 -RRB- `` I 've got a great idea , let 's take a well-respected Chinese actor and pair him up with an annoying teen-film actor in a mystical kung fu movie ; it ca n't fail ! '' Unsurprisingly , this film was a disaster , shoe-horning silly fight scenes into a plot that spirals from implausible to disturbingly stupid . A frightful mistake , and one of our worst-named films to boot . Under Siege 2 : Dark Territory -LRB- Geoff Murphy , 1995 -RRB- The first `` Under Siege '' was a surprisingly good film , and Hollywood 's best martial arts expert acquits himself well , but this follow up is laughable . Seagal still fights like the best , but has lost the ability to speak , and whispers his way through the dialogue . Considering the action takes place on a train , we were amazed his co-stars could hear him . Come on , Steven , you were so much better when you were just a lowly , lowly cook . Game of Death -LRB- Robert Clouse , 1978 -RRB- Through no fault of his own , this is Bruce Lee 's posthumous contribution to the list . This tacky movie features fight scenes shot before Lee died , interspersed with material filmed using lookalikes and a cardboard cutout of the great man . The fights are impressive , but the rest of the film smacks of a cash-in -- they even use footage from Lee 's actual funeral . A desperate slur on Lee 's memory . E-mail to a friend", "question": "Which actor hit the top spot with `` Enter the Dragon '' ?", "answer": "Bruce Lee 's"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Rep. Joe Wilson said Sunday he will not apologize again for yelling out that President Obama lied during the president 's speech to Congress last week . Rep. Joe Wilson , R-South Carolina , shouts '' You lie ! '' during President Obama 's speech Wednesday night . `` I am not going to apologize again , '' the South Carolina Republican said on `` FOX News Sunday '' when asked about pending disciplinary steps against him by the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives . Wilson said he already apologized to Obama and that the president accepted it . However , he insisted that Obama `` was misstating the facts , '' and that Democratic leaders in the House were `` playing politics '' by continuing to focus on the issue . House Democrats plan to censure Wilson if he refuses to apologize on the House floor this week . Wilson issued a statement about that Sunday , saying , `` The American people are fed up with the political games in Washington , and I refuse to participate in an effort to divert our attention away from the task at hand of reforming health insurance and creating new jobs . '' Watch the debate over Wilson 's comment '' The controversy has shifted the focus of the heated health care debate by calling attention to claims by Republicans that a health care overhaul sought by Obama and Democrats would provide free insurance coverage for illegal immigrants . Obama and Democratic leaders insist that nothing in any of the health care proposals currently before Congress includes health care coverage for illegal immigrants or would provide taxpayer money to help illegal immigrants buy private health coverage . However , Wilson and other opponents of Democratic proposals say the plans provide no enforcement mechanism to screen applicants for citizenship requirements . Wilson said Sunday that Republican amendments calling for such enforcement were rejected by congressional committees that have passed the Democratic proposals . When asked if Obama had lied to Congress , Wilson responded : `` I believe he was misstating the facts . '' He noted that Senate Finance Committee members negotiating a compromise agreement have called for enforcement mechanisms similar to what Republicans are proposing . The national response to Wilson 's nationally televised outburst , in which he yelled `` You lie '' as Obama spoke about health care to a joint session of Congress , shows the deep public divide over the issue . Wilson and his opponent for re-election next year have each raised more than $ 1 million since Wilson 's heckling of the president on Wednesday , according to aides for each . In addition , Wilson has posted a Web video that asks for campaign cash to fend off attacks from political opponents . Immediately after Obama 's speech Wednesday , Wilson issued a statement that apologized for inappropriate behavior . He also called the White House that night and spoke to Obama 's chief of staff , Rahm Emanuel , who told Wilson that Obama accepted his apology . Obama said publicly that he accepted the apology . Wilson `` apologized quickly and unequivocally , and I 'm appreciative of that , '' the president said . Wilson said Sunday that should be enough , adding that he respected the president and `` would never do something like that again . ''", "question": "What did Joe Wilson say to Obama ?", "answer": "You lie"}, {"story_text": "NAIROBI , Kenya -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Pirates holding a Saudi-owned oil supertanker off the coast of Somalia have set the vessel free after receiving a ransom payment , a piracy monitor in neighboring Kenya and the U.S. Navy Fifth Fleet said Saturday . A small aircraft drops a ransom payment during a flight over the Sirius Star on Friday . `` The supertanker VLCC Sirius Star is currently under way to safe waters , '' Andrew Mwangura of the Kenya Seafarers Association said in an e-mail . Mwangura said all 23 crew members of the Sirius Star , the largest ship ever hijacked by pirates , are safe and in good health . They are citizens of Croatia , Great Britain , the Philippines , Poland and Saudi Arabia . `` Anytime a ship is released , it is positive news , '' said Cmdr. Jane Campbell of the Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet . `` But too many people see it as a ship and its cargo being released . When merchant mariners are released , it is always good news . '' The ship is a VLCC , or `` very large crude carrier . '' According to the Fifth Fleet , the tanker is more than three times the size of a U.S. navy aircraft carrier . Pirates seized the supertanker November 15 . The tanker was carrying two million barrels of crude oil worth about $ 100 million . The Liberian-flagged tanker is owned by Vela International Marine Ltd. , a subsidiary of the Saudi Arabian-based Saudi Aramco . Saleh K'aki , president and CEO of Vela International , said in a statement , `` We are very relieved to know that all crew members are safe and I am glad to say that they are all in good health and high spirits . This has been a very trying time for them and certainly for their families . We are very happy to report to their families that they will be on their way home soon . '' Mwangura said it would have been a `` disaster '' if the pirates had fired guns aboard the ship , harming the cargo or igniting a fire . `` The capture of the Sirius Star raised the specter of an environmental disaster should the hijackers decide to turn the ship into a weapon or foreign navies attempt to release it by force , '' he said . The pirates had been expected to release the supertanker after receiving the ransom payment Friday , but four pirates drowned after their skiff capsized in rough seas while they were leaving the Sirius Star , according to a journalist who spoke to one of the pirates on board . Watch ransom being parachuted to ship '' There were five pirates in the skiff and one survived , the journalist said . The bodies of the other four were recovered , he said . The pirates told another journalist they received $ 3 million in ransom money but lost part of it when the skiff capsized . `` Initially , the gunmen were demanding $ 25 million for its release but the latest reports indicate that the demand had been lowered to below $ 3.5 million , '' Mwangura said . Meanwhile , pirates also have released the MV Delight , an Iranian chartered ship carrying wheat from Germany , Mwangura said . It was captured in November . Details were not immediately available . Hijackings off East Africa are a cause of growing international concern , spurring a number of international navies to patrol the pirate-wracked Gulf of Aden . Dozens of ships have been attacked in the gulf by pirates based in a largely lawless Somalia in recent months . See how pirate attacks are on the rise '' Campbell said the number of attacks may have gone up in recent months , but the number of successful hijackings has gone down . She attributed that to measures taken by merchant ships , such as vigilant keeping of watch and evasive ship maneuvers , and the increased naval presence in the at-risk areas . Campbell stressed , however , that they are only preventive measures . `` Piracy is a problem that starts on the shore , '' she said . `` The international community needs to address the situation on the ground in Somalia . '' CNN 's David McKenzie contributed to this report .", "question": "What was the name of this supertanker ?", "answer": "VLCC Sirius Star"}, {"story_text": "ABUSIR , Egypt -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Today , I met Cleopatra 's lawyer . Well , not her lawyer but someone who is determined to defend the legendary queen against centuries of bad publicity . Kathleen Martinez , an archaeologist from the Dominican Republic , wants to mend Cleopatra 's tattered reputation . Kathleen Martinez is a young archaeologist from the Dominican Republic who has toiled for three years on a barren hillside overlooking the coastal highway linking Alexandria with the Libyan border . According to the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities , it 's here , at a spot known as Abusir , that the tomb of Marc Antony and Cleopatra might be located . I met Martinez in a dusty tomb full of bones at the excavation site . She recounted to me that , as a young girl , she listened in on a scholarly discussion in her father 's library about Cleopatra . `` They were speaking very badly about her and about her image , '' she recalled . `` I got very upset . I said I did n't believe what they are saying , that I needed to study more about her . '' Martinez went on to earn a law degree but continued to be fascinated by the saga of Cleopatra . Four years ago , she managed to convince Zahi Hawass , the untiring director of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities , to allow her to start excavating at Abusir . Her fascination with -- and admiration for -- Cleopatra is intense . The last queen of Ancient Egypt , she told me , `` spoke nine languages , she was a philosopher , she was a poet , she was a politician , she was a goddess , and she was a warrior . '' In short , Martinez believes , Cleopatra was a woman way ahead of her times . And given that history is written by the victors -- in Cleopatra 's case , the Romans -- her press was somewhat less than complimentary . It was `` bad propaganda , '' in Martinez 's words . For that reason , she told me , `` I want to be Cleopatra 's lawyer . '' With Hawass , Martinez is now working on a book about Cleopatra to repair all that damage . The tale of Antony and Cleopatra has fueled the popular imagination for centuries . Ill-fated lovers were a favorite theme for William Shakespeare , and the Roman noble and the Egyptian queen certainly fit the bill . Marc Antony was a no less fascinating character than Cleopatra . In his youth , he led a life of heavy drinking and womanizing . According to the Roman historian Plutarch , Antony accumulated debts of 250 talents , the equivalent of $ 5 million , before reaching 20 . To escape his creditors in Rome , he fled to Greece , where he studied with the philosophers of Athens , before being called to join the Roman legions in the east , then serving under Julius Caesar . After Caesar 's assassination , Marc Antony became embroiled in a series of power struggles and eventually ended up in Egypt . Egypt was the enemy of his former ally , Octavian , who would go on to become the Emperor Augustus , the first emperor of Rome . Octavian defeated Antony 's forces at the battle of Actium in 30 B.C. Shortly afterward , Antony and Cleopatra committed suicide , he by his own sword , she by a poisonous asp . Octavian , according to Plutarch , allowed them to be buried together `` in splendid and regal fashion . '' But no one knows where . The sudden focus on Antony and Cleopatra has also reignited an old debate over the latter 's looks . Was Cleopatra a stunning beauty a la Elizabeth Taylor , or somewhat less spectacular ? Researchers from Newcastle University in England claimed in 2007 that , based upon coins found from the period , she was quite homely , with `` a shallow forehead , long , pointed nose , narrow lips and a sharply pointed chin . '' See gallery of tomb that might be Cleopatra 's '' The same researchers did n't have a very flattering assessment of Marc Antony either , saying he had `` bulging eyes , a large hooked nose and a thick neck . '' No Richard Burton . This does contradict Plutarch 's description of Marc Antony as having `` a noble dignity of form ; and a shapely beard , a broad forehead , and an aquiline nose -LSB- that -RSB- were thought to show the virile qualities peculiar to the portraits and statues of Hercules '' ? Hawass has n't had much to say in defense of Marc Antony , but he claims the coins found in Abusir show Cleopatra was `` beautiful . '' At Abusir , he showed me one of the coins with Cleopatra 's likeness . `` The only thing you can see here is her nose is a bit big . '' That 's because , Hawass insisted , `` when you draw a face on a coin you can not draw the beauty of a queen , and therefore I think that the lady who captured the hearts of Julius Caesar and Marc Antony can not have been ugly . '' Egyptians , who are intensely proud of their country and its ancient heritage , may be forgiven for their insistence on this point . I tend to take the middle ground on this one . Beauty is more than skin deep , and what seems to have captivated Julius Caesar and Marc Antony was not physical but rather inner beauty . Watch report from CNN 's Ben Wedeman on Cleopatra '' Plutarch wrote in his `` Life of Antony '' that `` for her beauty was in itself not altogether incomparable , nor such as to strike those who saw her . '' In other words , she was plain . Plutarch goes on to write , however , that she was intelligent , charming and has `` sweetness in the tones of her voice . '' The mystery of what Cleopatra really looked like may never be solved . In any event , it 's just one of many mysteries in Egypt . Others include the obvious ones : How were the pyramids built ? Who built them ? Why were they built ? How old is the Sphinx ? Hawass dismisses with lusty contempt the people who espouse the more fantastic theories -LRB- that aliens built the pyramids , that the Sphinx is more than 10,000 years old -RRB- , labeling them `` pyramidiots . '' But there are other historical mysteries out there that have yet to be answered . Some archaeologists are trying to find the tomb of Alexander the Great -LRB- who died in Babylon but , according to some ancient historians , was buried in Egypt -RRB- . Others are searching for the remains of the lost army of Cambyses -- 50,000 soldiers dispatched on a mission by the Persian Emperor to attack the Oracle of Amon -LRB- today 's Siwa Oasis in western Egypt -RRB- only to disappear during a sandstorm in the Sahara Desert . There has been plenty of excitement in the past few days over reports that Martinez and her team are about to find the long-lost tomb of Antony and Cleopatra . Alas , the enthusiasts are going to have to be patient . The summer residence of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is just down the road from the site . For security reasons , no one is allowed on the hillside where the excavations are taking place from May through November . So unless Mubarak decides to overrule his security detail , the solving of this mystery will have to be put on hold for at least another five months . We 've waited 2,000 years . I guess we can wait a few more months .", "question": "Who was Marc Antony 's lover ?", "answer": "Cleopatra"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Yemen 's government has laid out ceasefire terms to Houthi Shiite rebels fighting in the country 's north , Yemen 's official news agency reported Thursday . Yemeni security forces have been fighting against rebels in the north and south . According to SABA , the government 's demands include removing check points , ending banditry and destructive acts , handing over all military equipment and weapons and offering information on the fate of six kidnapped Europeans who disappeared in June . The announcement of cease-fire conditions by Yemen 's Supreme Security Committee comes only days after Yemeni forces began an offensive against the Houthi rebels in the northern mountainous province of Saada , which is on the Yemeni border with Saudi Arabia . It follows one day after a state of emergency was declared in all regions of Saada Province by the Saada Local Council . The English language Yemen Post reported Wednesday that , according to local sources from Sa'ada , `` army forces and fighter aircrafts launched a massive attack on Houthi leader Abdul-Malik Al-Houthi 's headquarters in Saada province . '' Thursday , citing official sources , Yemen Post reported that , over a five-year period of sporadic battles between Yemeni forces and Houthi rebels , over 1,000 government soldiers have died and over 6,000 have been injured . According to Yemen Post , `` it is said that thousands of civilians and Houthi 's followers died in the same period , but the real number is unspecified . '' Yemen 's government and Houthi rebels have been involved in intermittent fighting since 2004 . The conflict is believed to be both separatist -- over who will have power in the area -- and sectarian -- whether Shia Islam will dominate even though the majority of Yemenis are Sunni . Yemen 's President Ali Abdullah Saleh is also faced with a separatist movement in the country 's south and a growing threat from al Qaeda . Al-Qaeda 's presence in Yemen has been a growing concern for the United States . In late July , Gen. David Petraeus , CENTCOM Commander , and an accompanying delegation , flew to Yemen and met with Saleh . According to SABA , one of the topics of discussion was how to better combat terrorism . Nine foreigners were abducted in June while apparently on a picnic in Saada Province . The bodies of three of them , a South Korean teacher and two German nurses were discovered . Five Germans , including three children and a Briton , are still missing and their status is unknown . It is still unclear who is behind the kidnapping . Initial official statements said the group was apparently seized by Houthi rebels . However , Yemen 's news agency later reported Houthi rebels accused drug cartels of abducting the group and killing the three . In addition , SABA said a spokesman for the rebels accused regional tribes of being behind the kidnappings and slayings . The incident was the latest in a string of kidnappings of foreign workers in Yemen this year . All of the previous hostages had been released unharmed , including 24 medical workers seized in Yemen 's Amran province . In March , four South Korean tourists were killed in the city of Al Shibam when a bomb exploded as they were taking pictures . In January , two female Belgian tourists and a Yemeni driver were killed by gunmen while the three were traveling in a convoy in Al Shibam .", "question": "Who were Yemen forces fighting ?", "answer": "Houthi Shiite rebels"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Pop superstar Madonna reaches a major milestone Saturday . She 's turning 50 . Becky Oliphant went skydiving two weeks before turning 50 . `` I 'm doing things I 've never done before , '' she said . The singer is showing no signs of slowing down as she reaches 50 . She will soon begin a world tour and is still regarded as a beauty and fashion icon by many . In honor of Madonna 's big day , we asked iReporters to share their stories about turning 50 and what the milestone means to them . Dr. Becky Oliphant jokes with her marketing students at Stetson University in DeLand , Florida , that she and Madonna are just months apart in age . Oliphant turned 50 in May . Oliphant went skydiving with her graduate class weeks before her birthday . The jump was a first for her , one of many exciting things Oliphant hopes to experience now that she 's 50 . `` It 's a very liberating feeling , '' she said . `` I 'm doing things I 've never done before ; I 'm trying more things . Maybe it 's because I feel like I do n't have that much time left to do everything that I want to . '' Oliphant says she works hard to maintain a healthy diet and walks often . She said it 's necessary to stay in shape to keep up with her sons , ages 12 and 14 . `` I have to stay young to keep up with them . '' John Tackett Jr. celebrated turning 50 by running in a marathon in San Diego , California , followed by two days of hiking in Yosemite National Park . See photos of iReporters who have reached the 50-year mark \u00c2 '' Now 51 , Tackett says he 's `` doing more now than I ever thought I could . '' After losing 140 pounds in 2004 , Tackett has embraced a healthy and active lifestyle . He bikes three times a week to work and runs and swims on a regular basis . He ran the Boston Marathon in 3 hours and 45 minutes in April . Three weeks later , he clocked in at 6\u00c2 1/2 hours during a half-Iron Man competition in Panama City Beach , Florida . Watch Tackett describe how he prepared for races \u00c2 '' `` As I got older , my eyes opened up , '' Tackett said . Learning that the human life span is increasing made him realize the importance of staying healthy . In 2006 , life expectancy at birth in the United States hit a record high of 78.1 years , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Life expectancy for white males is 76 years , and white women have a life expectancy of 81 years . The numbers are slightly lower for black men and women , at 70 and 76.9 years , respectively . `` If I 'm going to live that long , I want to be in the best shape I possibly can be , '' Tackett said . At 50 , Deborah Elston says she 's in the best shape of her life . The Chicago , Illinois , resident does yoga and walks at least 15 miles a week . She and her partner regularly walk 13.1-mile half marathons , and Elston recently completed 26-mile marathon walk with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society . Although she was not athletic in her younger years , Elston works hard to stay active . Her brother died of a heart attack in February 2004 at the age of 39 , a tragedy that strengthened her desire to be healthy . `` If that is n't a wakeup call to live each day as if it were your last , nothing is , '' she wrote on iReport.com . Although Elston said the thought of turning 50 initially scared her , she continues to feel `` young at heart . '' iReport.com : See why Elston thinks `` 50 is the new 30 '' `` I feel great and plan on fighting the aging process every step of the way , '' she said . Like many iReporters , Carol Herm is embracing 50 with open arms . The mother of three celebrated her 50th in December and said that , since then , `` life has taken off . '' `` I feel like I am the best ` me ' I have ever been , '' she wrote on iReport.com . `` I am confident and so sure of myself , something that I never enjoyed in my younger years . '' Herm , who lives in Newtown Square , Pennsylvania , said she and her husband love being 50 . With three grown children , they spend more time together and less time worrying about the cost of braces , tuition and other expenses . `` This is an awesome age , '' Herm said . `` My husband and I are enjoying every minute . '' Elonda Abrams of Beaverton , Oregon , agrees . `` Turning 50 has given me a new awakening and zest for life , '' she said . Abrams explained that a vigorous lifestyle is achieved physically and mentally . She exercises often , has a healthy diet , surrounds herself with positive friends and regularly attends church . Abrams believes that Madonna is just one example of `` the 50 , fit and foxy club . '' `` I want to be an example to women all over that age really does n't matter . ''", "question": "Who is celebrating her 50th birthday ?", "answer": "Madonna"}, {"story_text": "LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Princess Diana 's relationships with two Muslim men provoked an outburst from her mother , who called her daughter `` a whore '' , Paul Burrell , the princess 's former butler , told an inquest Monday . Diana once referred to her former butler Paul Burrell as `` my rock . '' Burrell , who returned to Britain from his home in Florida to give evidence , was the first star witness of the London inquest , now in its fourth month . His role as confidant to Diana , who died in a Paris car crash on August 31 , 1997 , along with her boyfriend Dodi Fayed and hotel security chief Henri Paul , meant his testimony was eagerly anticipated . Burrell , whom the late princess once called `` my rock , '' cast doubt on whether Diana was ready to marry Fayed . According to Burrell , the princess was still `` holding a candle '' for former boyfriend and heart surgeon Hasnat Khan -- who she called `` her soulmate '' -- when she started dating Fayed `` on the rebound . '' Burrell told the inquest that Diana asked him to listen in on a conversation in June 1997 with her mother , Frances Shand Kydd , who died in 2004 and who was critical of her relationship with Muslim men . `` She called the princess a ` whore ' and she said that she was messing around with ` effing Muslim men ' and she was ` disgraceful ' and said some very nasty things , '' Burrell said . He agreed that , as a result of such calls Diana , decided not to talk to her mother again . The inquest , which began in October and is expected to last another two or three months , aims to uncover the facts surrounding the deaths of the Princess and Dodi and determine their cause of death -- whether by accident or otherwise . Asked earlier in the day if he believed that Fayed was `` the one , '' Burrell said `` no , I did not have that impression . '' He also cast doubt on claims that Fayed and Diana were engaged or on the cusp of engagement , saying : `` I find that difficult to believe . '' Asked to explain himself , Burrell said : `` Because this was only a 30-day relationship and the princess had just finished a long-term relationship with someone -LRB- Khan -RRB- she cared deeply about . I knew that because I was there and I saw it . '' Diana 's 18-month relationship with Khan ended around the same time she started seeing Fayed in July 1997 . Burrell said Diana had asked him at one point to investigate how a private wedding with Khan might take place , given that Khan is Muslim . Watch report on claims about Diana 's marriage plans . '' Khan had not proposed to the princess , Burrell said , adding that Khan was `` the man she loved more than any other . '' He said he spoke to Diana about the possibility that Fayed would give her a ring shortly before her death . Burrell said he suggested to the princess that she wear it on the fourth finger of her right hand , rather than the left , as is customary with engagement rings . `` I need marriage like a bad rash , '' Burrell claimed Diana told him . Last month at the inquest Lady Annabel Goldsmith , a friend of Diana , said the princess had remarked that she needed another marriage `` like a rash on my face . '' Burrell also indicated that the ring was not an engagement ring , as the Fayed family has maintained . Fayed family spokesman Michael Cole testified last week that Dodi 's father , Mohamed Al Fayed , was certain the couple had planned to marry . Lawyers at the inquest asked Burrell whether he knew whether a special announcement had been planned for the Monday following the fatal car crash . There has been speculation the couple planned to announce special news , such as an engagement . But Burrell said he knew nothing of such a plan . He said he had actually looked at Diana 's schedule for that day and found only mundane items , and nothing to indicate she planned a special announcement . Burrell also told the inquest he did not believe Prince Philip , Queen Elizabeth 's , husband was involved in Diana 's death . Mohamed Al Fayed , father of Dodi and the owner of Harrods department store , has long claimed that senior members of the royal family -- specifically the queen 's husband , Prince Philip -- ordered the pair be murdered . He also claims that Diana was pregnant at the time of her death . But Burrell said that he knew Prince Philip very well and that he could not have been behind the deaths . `` I can tell you that is not Prince Philip 's nature , '' he said . `` Plus the princess was the mother of his grandchildren . Why would he want to harm her ? It 's not possible . '' The inquest has seen and heard about correspondence which Prince Philip sent to Diana , with some witnesses claiming that he wrote cruel and hurtful letters . But other correspondence shown to the jury appeared to be friendly and was affectionately signed , `` Pa. '' Burrell explained that Philip could sometimes come across as terse because he says what he thinks . `` Prince Philip does n't mix his words , '' Burrell said . `` He says it as it is , but he is not a nasty man . Prince Philip is n't known for his diplomacy . He was fond of the princess . '' Burrell worked for the British royals for 21 years and became close to Diana after her separation from Prince Charles . He has written two books about his time with the princess . In his second book , Burrell told of a letter from Diana which indicated she feared for her life . The princess wrote that Prince Charles planned '' ` an accident ' in my car , brake failure and serious head injury . '' One of Diana 's close friends , however , testified last month that she believed the letter could have been forged . Lucia Flecha de Lima said on December 18 that Burrell was capable of imitating the princess 's handwriting . Lawyers questioned Burrell about the date of the letter . Burrell said it was written in October 1996 , two months , after Diana and Charles divorced -- yet the letter refers to Charles as `` my husband . '' Burrell responded that Diana always referred to Charles that way , even after the divorce . The inquest has revealed that Diana was a prolific letter-writer who also received a lot of correspondence . Witnesses , including Burrell , recall that the princess kept the letters in her desk , with the more important ones stored in a special box . Burrell testified that after Diana 's death , her mother , Frances Shand-Kidd , worked every day for a week shredding the papers from Diana 's desk . He said he expressed concern about the shredding during a meeting he had with the queen on December 19 , 1997 . It was at this meeting that Queen Elizabeth told Burrell : `` There are powers at work in this country about which we have no knowledge . '' That comment , which has been widely reported , was meant to warn him to be careful , Burrell said , and was not a warning about any one person or group of people . At the same meeting Burrell also told the queen that he had taken some of Diana 's belongings to keep safe . The details of the conversation emerged when Burrell stood trial for their alleged theft in 2002 , causing the case against him to collapse . E-mail to a friend CNN 's Emily Chang and Heidi Berger contributed to this report .", "question": "Paul Burrell was employed as butler by whom ?", "answer": "Princess Diana 's"}, {"story_text": "New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A country with a Mediterranean climate and sparse snowfall , Israel is seldom considered a viable competitor in winter sports . So when Roman Zaretsky and his sister Alexandra take the ice in Vancouver on Friday , they will be skating for more than just a medal . The ice dancing pair hope to show the world that Israel can be a fierce competitor , no matter what the season . For Roman Zaretsky , 27 , the weather was never a deterrent and competing in the Winter Games was always the goal . `` I always knew I wanted to be in the Olympics , since I was 10 , '' Zaretsky says . Zaretsky and Alexandra Zaretsky , 22 , who is called Sasha , were taught to skate by their mother when they were young . The siblings began ice dancing , a form of figure skating that focuses more on choreography and draws from the world of ballroom dancing . `` I do n't remember a moment of life without skating , '' Roman Zaretsky said . `` In Russia , that was one of the biggest sports and then it kind of became my life slowly . Then we started skating together and it became our life . '' The Zaretskys were born in Minsk , Belarus , under the former Soviet Union . Their family decided to leave the country as soon as it was possible and moved to Israel . They settled in Metula , a city near the Lebanese border , which boasts the country 's only regulation size ice rink . Metula held a number of challenges for the two young skaters . The Zaretskys often found themselves with little time on the ice , because they had to share it with other skaters and hockey players , who would come to the rink to practice . `` The ice time was not enough . We had 45 minutes a day and we need much more than that , '' Sasha Zaretsky said . `` Usually one practice here is an hour and a half , so it 's not enough to become an Olympic athlete . '' Living and practicing so close to Lebanon 's border also meant dealing with warfare and instability . They had to evacuate the area several times , and the ice rink itself was bombed three times while they were living there . Despite the difficulties , the pair continued training under their mother 's tutelage until she had taught them everything she knew . `` Our mom was coaching us until we reached the moment where she said , ` OK , I can not give you anymore , ' '' Roman Zaretsky said . '' ` You need to go somewhere else if you want to move on . ' '' So in 2001 , when Roman was 17 and Sasha 13 , they left home for the United States , where , for the second time in their lives , they had to adjust to a new culture and learn a new language . They decided to settle in New Jersey , one of several East Coast states renowned for its excellent skating coaches . For the past three years , the Zaretskys have been coached by Galit Chait , a former Olympic ice dancer . Chait has known the siblings for a long time and even helped pave the way for their Olympic appearances . Along with her partner , Sergei Sakhnovski , Chait competed in Winter Games three times , including the 2002 Winter Olympics where she placed sixth overall . However , Chait and Sakhnovski did not receive much funding from the Israeli government in the beginning , and Chait 's parents often supported them . `` We were the pioneers . We did n't get money until we started placing and getting medals , '' Chait said . `` Roman and Sasha have it a little bit better than we did . '' Although funding is still hard to come by , Chait 's father , Boris , has provided the majority of the money for the Zaretskys . Training Olympic athletes can bear a hefty price , because there is also a lot of work done off the ice . In addition to a coach and booking time on the ice , a choreographer , a Pilates trainer , a stretch coach , a weight training coach , a masseuse and a costume designer are necessary . `` It is a project . It 's not only money , you become involved in the everyday life of these kids , '' Boris Chait said . `` You become like a second father or a foster family . '' But it is a project the Chait family is willing to undertake in order to help build a legacy in Israel and cater to the large percentage of the population from the former Soviet Union . Boris Chait believes Soviet culture , even when transplanted into a warm climate , is still intricately entwined with winter sports . He is confident that this segment of the country wants to see Israel compete in the Winter Games and he said he believes the Zaretskys can display Israel 's competitiveness in Vancouver this year . The siblings made their first Olympic appearance in 2006 , where they finished 22nd . They had only learned they had qualified two weeks before the ceremonies began and were in awe of the entire experience . This time , however , they feel confident they will do better . Their coach agrees . `` They 've been skating really well this year and it 's been a really good year for them , '' Chait said . The Zaretskys recently placed seventh in the European Figure Skating Championships in Tallinn , Estonia , and have been practicing diligently for the Olympic Games in Vancouver . While they would love to bring home a medal , they are also grateful for the opportunity to represent their country . `` Our country never won an Olympic medal , so we 're hoping for a medal , but placing in the top 10 would be amazing , '' Roman Zaretsky said . Win or lose , the Zaretskys are hoping to inspire kids back home to pick up the sport and to aim for the Olympics . `` Everything is possible , '' Zaretsky said . `` If you want to be there , you 'll be there , so just work hard ! ''", "question": "Who is representing Israel in ice dancing ?", "answer": "Roman Zaretsky and his sister Alexandra"}, {"story_text": "LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The decision to make `` Che '' was an easy one , Benicio Del Toro says . Filming the movie was anything but . Benicio Del Toro stars as Latin American revolutionary Ernesto `` Che '' Guevara . `` I have to say it probably is the most difficult movie I 've ever made , and I 've made a few , '' Del Toro says of his starring role in director Steven Soderbergh 's Spanish-language biopic . One of Hollywood 's most bankable stars , Del Toro has made a name for himself playing dark and brooding characters in movies like `` 21 Grams , '' `` The Usual Suspects , '' and `` Traffic , '' for which he won an Oscar . He now adds to that list the role of revolutionary Ernesto `` Che '' Guevara , an Argentine doctor whose role in the Cuban Revolution in the 1950s vaulted him to cult status where he remains today . To play the Latin American revolutionary , Del Toro says he had to start with the man himself rather than invent a character . He read what Che wrote and interviewed a range of people , including those who knew him when he was a child , as well as those who were there in his last days . And then there were the countless photos of the iconic and controversial leader which he pored over . Looking at the pictures , seeing the attitude that he had in the photographs , '' he says , `` I learned a lot from the photographs . '' The meticulous study pays off on screen . Del Toro delivers a soulful performance that has earned him accolades . He won the Best Actor award at Cannes this year and he is being hotly tipped for another Oscar nod . Which films and actors do you think are contenders for this year 's Oscars ? Share your picks in the SoundOff below . Che 's life `` is what movies are made of , '' Del Toro told CNN . The incredible story , along with the opportunity to work with Soderbergh , who directed him in 2000 's `` Traffic , '' for a second time drew him to the project . The 41-year-old bilingual actor was born in Puerto Rico but grew up in Pennsylvania . It was n't until he was in his early 20s and wandered into a bookstore in Mexico City that he discovered Che . `` I bought a compilation of his letters that he had written to his family and I read that book . I did n't know anything about this guy , so that started my journey , '' he recalls . See how the movie was received in Cuba '' `` Che '' is split into two parts -- `` The Argentine '' and `` Guerrilla . '' When shown in its entirety , the movie clocks in at a staggering 257 minutes . Part one charts Che 's rise from young idealist to revolutionary hero during the Cuban Revolution . Part two depicts his efforts to bring change to all of Latin America and focuses on his campaign in Bolivia , where he died . Shot in various locations ranging from the jungles of Bolivia to Mexico 's Yucatan Peninsula , filming was grueling . `` In this film , we went pretty fast , '' Del Toro says . `` We went really fast . '' Soderbergh wanted to film using only natural light , and production moved rapidly . On some days , Del Toro recounts , they only had 15 or 30 minutes to capture a scene . One day of filming felt like a whole week of work , he says . `` The way I felt on a Monday in this movie is the equivalent to how I felt at the end of the week of another movie . '' Del Toro , who also co-produced the movie , is n't complaining though . He speaks with pride about the effort the cast and crew put in to the moviemaking process , which he describes as `` hit and run . '' `` Che '' is being released in two parts , but the epic is best viewed in its entirety , Del Toro says . `` You 'll get the full experience of what we went through , of the two movies together as one . '' The full-length version of `` Che '' will have a limited opening in the U.S. on Dec. 12 . It is scheduled to be released in separate parts in the UK on Jan. 2 .", "question": "Who directed Che ?", "answer": "Steven Soderbergh 's"}, {"story_text": "NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The agency that owns the space where the World Trade Center towers stood is freeing itself of the term `` freedom '' to describe the signature skyscraper replacing the buildings destroyed on September 11 , 2001 . The One World Trade Center skyscraper is expected to be completed in late 2013 . The change from Freedom Tower was revealed Thursday at a news conference where the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced the signing of the first commercial lease in the building to a Chinese company . The building is expected to be completed in late 2013 . `` We 've referred to the primary building planned for the site as One World Trade Center -- its legal name and street address -- for almost two years now , as well as using the name the Freedom Tower , '' said Stephen Sigmund , a spokesman for the Port Authority , in a statement released to CNN . `` Many will always refer to it as the Freedom Tower , but as the building moves out of the planning stage and into full construction and leasing , we believe that going forward it is most practical to market the building as One World Trade Center . '' Ten of the building 's planned 108 above-ground floors have been built . `` The fact is , more than $ 3 billion of public money is invested in that building , and , as a public agency , we have the responsibility to make sure it is completed and that we utilize the best strategy to make certain it is fully occupied , '' Sigmund added . He noted that the agency lost 84 colleagues in the September 11 attacks . Mary Fetchet , founding director of Voices of September 11th , a group that commemorates the lives of those killed in the attack , said she was not familiar with the decision made by the Port Authority and was not willing to make a statement . New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg , on the John Gambling radio show taped Friday morning , said he was not upset by the Port Authority 's decision . `` It 's up to the Port Authority , '' he said . `` I have no idea what the commercial aspects are , and we can say , ` Oh , we should n't worry about that , ' but of course you have to , particularly now . `` I would like to see it stay the Freedom Tower , but it 's their building , and they do n't need me dumping on it . If they could rent the whole thing by changing the name , I guess they 're going to do that , and they probably , from a responsible point of view , should . From a patriotic point of view , is it going to make any difference ? '' He added , `` one of the things is , we call things what we want to call them . So , Avenue of the Americas is a good example , for it 's Sixth Avenue to most people . Very few people use Avenue of the Americas . If they name this One World Trade Center , people will still call it the Freedom Tower . '' The building was named the Freedom Tower in the first `` ground zero '' master plan . Officials said at the time that the tallest , most symbolic of five planned towers at the site would demonstrate the country 's triumph over terrorism . Representatives of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and Vantone Industrial Co. announced Thursday the signing of a lease that will create the China Center , a 190,810-square-foot business and cultural facility , to be on portions of the 64th floor and the entire 65th through 69th floors of One World Trade Center . Hailing it as a great day for the Port Authority and its partners in the China center , Port Authority Executive Director Chris Ward added , `` this is the first step in a long journey as downtown is finally rebuilt . '' The lease is for 20 years and nine months , beginning when the building is completed , with rents starting at $ 80 per square foot and escalating afterward . The China Center also will have the right to lease up to two additional contiguous floors under the same terms , an option that expires at the end of 2009 . The Port Authority also has commitments for more than a million square feet of leased office space in One World Trade Center from the U.S. General Services Administration and the New York State Office of General Services . Leases for these two public agencies are being finalized . These commitments , coupled with the China Center lease , represent nearly 50 percent of the office space in the building . The China Center at One World Trade Center is expected to represent the elite of China 's business and cultural communities and serve as a hub for Chinese firms developing United States operations , as well as for U.S. companies that wish to conduct business in China or expand operations . One World Trade Center will include 2.6 million gross square feet of office space on 70 office floors , a public lobby with a 50-foot-high ceiling , an observation deck 1,265 feet above ground , a skyline restaurant , a wide array of shopping and parking . The building itself will be 1,368 feet tall , and a spire at the top will bring the total height to 1,776 feet . Beijing Vantone Industrial is one of the first private corporations established in China . Today , the company is one of China 's largest private real estate investment companies with 13 subsidiaries , including one publicly traded company , Beijing Vantone Real Estate Co. .", "question": "What was the building named in the first `` ground zero '' master plan ?", "answer": "Freedom Tower"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In 2004 , even after being captured by U.S. forces , Saddam Hussein told an FBI interrogator he believed Iran was a greater threat to Iraq than the United States , according to newly released FBI documents . Baghdad 's Al Mutamar newspaper shows Saddam Hussein , right , with Ahmed Chalabi of Iraq 's governing council in 2003 . The FBI interviews took place while Hussein , then identified by the FBI as `` High Value Detainee 1 '' was held captive by U.S. military forces at Baghdad International Airport between February and June of 2004 . Hussein regarded the Iranian threat as so serious that it was the major factor in his decision not to allow United Nations weapons inspectors to return , he said . Citing their shared border and his belief Iran would intend to annex southern Iraq , Hussein said he was more concerned about Iran discovering Iraq 's weaknesses than repercussions from the United States and the international community . He believed that the inspectors would have directly identified to the Iranians where to inflict maximum damage to Iraq . Approximately 100 pages of declassified interview summaries , previously classified as secret , were obtained by the National Security Archive at the George Washington University through a Freedom of Information Act request . The FBI declined CNN 's request to interview special agent George L. Piro , the agent who interviewed Hussein . FBI spokesman Paul Bresson declined to comment on the declassified documents . `` As a general rule , the FBI does not discuss FOIA 'd documents . We let the information stand on its own , '' Bresson told CNN . Piro , an FBI agent fluent in Arabic , conducted the interviews along with another agent whose name has been redacted from the documents . Although Hussein had been a prisoner for months , at one point during an interview he said , `` I am not the ex-president of Iraq . I am still the president of Iraq . '' Hussein also described al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden as a `` zealot '' and said he had never met or seen him . He also said the United States used the September 11 attacks as justification to attack Iraq , and that the United States had `` lost sight of the cause . '' Despite Piro citing evidence of Iraq 's contacts with al Qaeda , Hussein said , `` The Iraqi government did not cooperate with bin Laden '' and that the two `` did not have the same belief or vision . '' The former regime 's alleged weapons of mass destruction and alleged ties to al Qaeda were the Bush administration 's primary justifications for invading Iraq in March of 2003 . Piro and Hussein spoke extensively about Iraq 's chemical weapons during the Iran war , the 1990 invasion of Kuwait and in the years before the second U.S. invasion . Hussein refused to answer a question about whether Iraq would have lost the war it fought with Iran from 1980 to 1988 if it had not used chemical weapons . He also said neither he nor any other Iraqi officials discussed using chemical weapons during the first Gulf War . Hussein admitted that Iraq made a mistake by destroying some weapons without U.N. supervision . In his view , the inspectors wanted all of their expenses paid for by Iraq . Instead of waiting for the inspectors and paying the expenses , Iraq began destroying the weapons . `` We destroyed them . We told you , with documents . That 's it , '' Hussein said . When asked about restrictions he placed on weapons inspectors regarding which locations they could visit , Hussein responded , `` By God , if I had such weapons , I would have used them in the fight against the United States . '' Hussein commented about the mental state of U.S. soldiers occupying Iraq . `` If you asked the American soldier -- who came to Iraq to find weapons of mass destruction , but none could be found , and who came to remove the leaders of the Hussein dictatorship , who are all in jail now , but are replaced with other dictators -- whether he wanted to stay or go , he would say go . '' Hussein said he alone gave the orders to fire SCUD missiles at Israel during the first Gulf War , adding , `` Everything that happened to us was because of Israel . '' He said he figured that the United States would stop the war if Israel was `` hurt , '' and he wanted to punish the country he viewed as the source of all his problems . Hussein recalled a meeting in Switzerland between his foreign minister Tariq Aziz and then-U.S. Secretary of State James Baker in January of 1991 shortly before Operation Desert Storm . According to Hussein , Baker offered no solutions to resolve the Kuwait situation and gave specific steps to Aziz that the United States wanted Iraq to do first , and Baker added `` otherwise , we 'll take you back to the pre-industrial age . '' He also told Piro he wanted to have a relationship with the United States but was not given the opportunity because in his view the United States was not listening to anything Iraq had to say . Hussein also revealed details about his security measures and movements before and after the second U.S. invasion of Iraq in March of 2003 . He says he had only used a telephone on two occasions since March of 1990 . He denied ever using body doubles , claiming , `` This is movie magic , not reality . '' He also said he never saw his sons use body doubles . `` Do not think I am getting upset when you mention my sons . I still think about them and the fact that they were martyred . They will be examples to everyone throughout the world , '' he said . Hussein also states he was not in the Dora neighborhood of Baghdad on March 19 , 2003 , when it was bombed by coalition forces in an unsuccessful attempt to kill him . He says he remained in Baghdad until April 10 or 11 of 2003 , when it appeared the city was about to fall to coalition forces . Before leaving the city , he said he held one final meeting with the senior Iraqi leadership and told them , `` We will struggle in secret . '' Shortly after his departure from the capital , Hussein began to gradually disperse his bodyguards , telling them they had completed their duty , so as not to draw attention . Hussein also admitted that after participating in the failed assassination attempt against then-Iraqi president Gen. Abdul Karim Qasim in 1959 , he had stayed at the same farm where he was captured by U.S. forces in December of 2003 . CNN 's Carol Cratty contributed to this report .", "question": "Hussein said US used September 11 as what ?", "answer": "justification to attack Iraq"}, {"story_text": "PARKER , Colorado -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Matt Keil did n't wait for a call to serve his country . Six weeks after Tracy and Matt Keil married in 2007 , he was hit by a sniper fire while serving in Iraq . He enlisted in the Army after graduating from high school in 2000 , and when the Iraq war started , Keil volunteered to go . Because he was single , he wanted to take the place of a parent , wife or husband who would otherwise be sent . `` I wanted to go over and serve my country , '' he recalled . After a year-long tour of duty in Iraq , Keil returned home to Colorado , where he met a young woman named Tracy who lived in the same apartment complex . He says he knew they were meant to be . `` I woke up one morning , and my roommate was gone . I called him up and asked him what he was doing . He said he was down by the pool hanging out , '' Keil said . `` I asked him if there were any hot girls down there , and he said , ` Yeah , there are . ' '' And the rest is history . Matt and Tracy began dating and fell in love , but he was soon told that his unit was being sent back to Iraq . Even though he knew redeployment was part of his job , this time things were different . He and Tracy were engaged to be married . Watch their story of love interrupted '' At the time , the enemy in Iraq was growing stronger , and Keil 's unit was headed to Ramadi , the capital of Anbar province and a violent insurgent stronghold . Keil had been in Ramadi in 2004 and knew the mission would be dangerous . `` They were definitely built up a lot more on our second tour , '' he said . `` Fallujah had just ended , and a lot of fighters from Fallujah had fled to nearby cities , and that 's what we were up against . '' Though their wedding plans were put on hold , Matt and Tracy decided to marry as soon as he could get a leave of absence . `` He got one of the earliest leaves you could take and came home in January , '' Tracy Keil remembered . `` The main reason we got married was , even though we planned on having a bigger wedding later , what if something happened ? '' On February 24 , 2007 , six weeks after their wedding , something did happen . Keil , an infantry squad leader , was part of a major offensive to reclaim a portion of the city . His squad was ambushed , leaving 11 men severely wounded . After helping evacuate his wounded men , Keil and his men entered an abandoned house . He went to the roof to look out for any potential danger . `` I jumped up on the tallest part of the roof to lay a camel net on top of the stairwell to kind of hide us from sniper fire , '' Keil said . `` That 's when I got shot right in the right side of the neck . Hit me like a ton of bricks . '' It was n't until he was back at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington that the couple realized the severity of his injury . Tracy was abruptly informed of his condition while Keil was heavily sedated . `` A doctor came in , thought I knew and made a comment about being paralyzed from the neck down , '' Tracy Keil recalled . `` He did n't know that nobody had sat down to tell me . ... I just collapsed . '' When Keil awoke , a doctor informed him that the bullet had hit his spinal cord and explained that he had a `` Christopher Reeve-type injury . '' After the initial shock , Matt and Tracy began to understand the full implications . For Keil , who was independent and admits to being stubborn , that was hard to swallow . `` Realizing that my wife was going to be helping me eat , cleaning me up , doing things like that , it was kind of devastating , '' he admitted . But the newlyweds stayed optimistic and started focusing on the next steps . One of the most urgent issues was figuring out where they would live once Keil was out of the hospital . Tracy and her mother would bring Keil house-hunting . `` They would get me in a manual wheelchair and carry me up flights of stairs , '' Keil explained . But they quickly became frustrated by what they found . Every house they saw would have to be dramatically modified to meet Keil 's needs . And that meant costs that he and Tracy could not afford . Then , in August 2007 , when Keil was just a month away from being released from the hospital , his wife received news that would change this lives . This time the news was good . A friend of the couple 's had submitted their story to Homes for Our Troops , an organization that builds specially adapted homes for disabled veterans . John Gonsalves , founder and president of Homes for Our Troops , and the organization had selected Matt and Tracy to receive a house built specifically to meet their needs . Best of all , it was free . `` It 's one of the most life-changing events that 's ever happened to us , especially after being injured , '' Keil said . `` We 're going to be in this house that 's fully accessible , has everything that it needs to take care of me , wide-open floor plan easy for Tracy to take care of me , and it 's just an absolutely beautiful house . '' After breaking ground in April , Homes for Our Troops utilized hundreds of volunteers , donations and community outreach to build the house so it would be ready for the dedication ceremony September 27 . Gonsalves , who started his career in construction , said he realized how many men and women would be returning home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with severe injuries and very specific needs . He wanted to volunteer with an organization that built homes designed for these disabled veterans . When he realized none existed , he started his own . He says he 's frustrated by the lack of urgency in helping America 's veterans . `` It just seems like this time around , we were n't really asked to do anything . It was kind of ` go about your lives , ' and I 'm thinking , how can everybody just put it in the back of their mind and go about their daily lives when our sons and daughters and mothers and fathers are in a faraway place putting their lives on the line ? '' Gonsalves said . Homes for Our Troops spends an average of $ 250,000 on each home , and only 7 percent of the group 's money goes to administrative overhead . The rest goes directly to helping disabled veterans . It gives people in the community an opportunity to give back through volunteering . The Keils ' home is the 33rd project the organization has completed , and the group has 40 homes in the works . There are 3 million veterans receiving disability compensation , and more than 250,000 of those are 100 percent disabled , according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs . With two wars still being waged and hundreds of thousands of America 's military men and women fighting , it 's likely the need for these homes will increase . The home has given Tracy and Matt hope for their future together , and they look forward to giving back . `` This gives us security for our life , '' Tracy Keil said . `` This is where we can have our kids , and this is where we can raise our family . '' `` We 're going to live in this house for the rest of our lives , and eventually when it 's our time to pass , we 're going to find a family to donate it to that really needs it , '' Matt Keil said . `` Our kids will be made well aware of that ! ''", "question": "What organization builds houses for disabled veterans ?", "answer": "Homes for Our Troops"}, {"story_text": "LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The California Public Utilities Commission banned texting on the job Thursday after it was shown that a Metrolink train engineer involved in last week 's deadly collision near Los Angeles sent text messages from his cell phone . It was unclear what 46-year-old Robert Sanchez was doing at the time of the crash Friday . The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating claims that he was sending text messages when his commuter train slammed into a Union Pacific freight train in Chatsworth . Twenty-five people were killed , including Sanchez , and at least 130 were injured . Investigators subpoenaed the phone records of the engineer and determined that he `` had sent and received text messages on the day of the accident , including some while he was on duty , '' according to an NTSB statement Wednesday . Investigators were trying to determine at what time the messages were sent . The commission 's emergency order passed unanimously Thursday . In pushing for the ban , Commission President Michael Peevey said that cell phone use by engineers `` may have been a factor '' in train accidents this year in San Francisco and Sacramento , California . He did not elaborate on details of those incidents . Thursday 's order is temporary until the state commission decides whether to make it permanent . Metrolink prohibits cell phone use by engineers on the job , but Peevey emphasized that there is no federal or California regulation barring cell phone use by engineers while trains are moving . The NTSB had determined that the brakes on the Metrolink train were not applied before the collision and that stop signals at the scene were working properly , said Kitty Higgins , an NTSB member assigned to the investigation . Metrolink has said its train , carrying about 220 passengers , failed to stop for a red signal . Watch expert tell what it 's like to drive a train '' Twenty-four bodies were found at the scene after the head-on collision during rush hour Friday in the northwest Los Angeles suburb . A 25th victim , a man in his 50s , died at a hospital . More than 130 people were injured . The agency has said it also has been in contact with the two teenagers who told a local television station they were exchanging text messages with the engineer just before the crash occurred . Higgins said investigators have interviewed the Metrolink train conductor , who had worked with Sanchez since April . The conductor `` had no issues of his time working with the engineer and on how the engineer operated the train , '' she said . Watch as callers to 911 describe the crash '' The engineer took a two-hour nap during his midday break on the day of the collision , the conductor told investigators . Sanchez was a subcontractor who worked for another company .", "question": "What did investigators determine about the brakes ?", "answer": "were not applied before"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Despite the obvious claims of younger rivals Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi , few can really argue with the 96 football journalists who voted Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite as the 2007 World Footballer of the Year . Brazilian genius Kaka fully deserves winning the 2007 World Footballer of the Year award . The prestigious Ballon d'Or award is widely regarded as the most prestigious individual prize in football and Kaka 's inclusion on its coveted roll of honor is a testament to the 25-year-old Brazilian 's current standing in world football . When AC Milan defeated Liverpool in the Champions League final in Athens , avenging their heartbreaking loss to the same team in Istanbul two years previously , it enabled Kaka to fulfill his dream of holding aloft Europe 's premier trophy -- a winner 's medal he fully deserved after a sublime 90-minute performance . Kaka 's stock for both club and country has risen steadily since his move to the San Siro from Sao Paulo for a fee of just $ 8.5 million in the summer of 2003 . Unlike many a Brazilian sporting genius , Kaka did not hone his skills on the beach or the streets of a favela shanty town . He was born into a comfortable middle class Brasilia family , where football was not the only hope of a bright future . However , it soon became clear that this particular boy had a very special skill and he was signed by Sao Paulo , after his family had moved there , at just eight years of age -- making his first team debut as an 18-year-old . Kaka 's progress was soon picked up by his national team coach and Felipe Scolari named the graceful midfielder in his 23-man squad for the 2002 World Cup finals , earning him a winners ' medal despite playing only 19 minutes of the tournament in a group match against Costa Rica . A year later , and Kaka was on his way to Milan . Within a month he had made the starting line-up and his 10 goals helped the Rossoneri lift the Scudetto and the European Super Cup . Throughout his career , Kaka has always possessed the innate ability to score goals -- his record for both club and country sees him average roughly a goal every three games . Yet to describe Kaka merely as a goalscoring midfielder would be doing him a massive injustice . Tall , elegant and blessed with astonishing skill , Milan and Brazil utilize Kaka 's ability superbly . Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti soon recognized Kaka 's genius , changing his team 's system to a 4-4-1-1 , playing the Brazilian behind a main target man . With Andrea Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso holding the central midfield area , Kaka has a license to roam in behind the lone striker , be it Filippo Inzaghi , Ronaldo or Alberto Gilardino . And Kaka does this with devastating effect , running at the opposition with pace and power , finding defense-splitting passes or shooting from range with deadly accuracy be it from a dead-ball situation or open play . The fly in the ointment for Milan comes in the shape of their poor form this season . Although they have already reached the last 16 of the Champions League , the club are floundering in Serie A and face the unthinkable prospect of not qualifying for next season 's competition unless they win the trophy . Real Madrid have coveted Kaka for the last two years -- expect the world transfer record to be smashed if Milan do n't secure a place among Europe 's elite . E-mail to a friend", "question": "What did Kaka deserve ?", "answer": "2007 World Footballer of the Year award"}, {"story_text": "LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Pete Sampras and Roger Federer are two of the modern era 's greatest tennis players . Between them , they have won a staggering 27 Grand Slam singles titles -- and yet , neither player has ever won the French Open . Tennis great Pete Sampras won 14 Grand Slam tournaments but never managed a French Open victory . That legendary players like Sampras and Federer have somehow failed to win at Les Internationaux de France de Roland Garros is just one of the reasons why this Grand Slam tournament holds such a special place on the tennis calendar . The French Open is notably the only Grand Slam event contested on clay -- a factor that separates it from the other three majors , and more than anything else defines the tournament . The layers of crushed brick that constitute the orange-red clay courts of Roland Garros are what brought Sampras -- and still bring Federer -- so much grief . Fellow greats John McEnroe , Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg also failed to win the coveted title . The reason clay may have affected the natural games of these players is because the surface slows the ball and produces a slightly higher , loopier bounce than grass or hard courts . This means the high-power serve of someone like Sampras is negated , opening the way for players with a different style of game . To this extent , the French Open helped create the legend of one of the finest players of all time -- Swedish star Bjorn Borg . Borg won a record six times at Roland Garros . He also won five Wimbledon titles -- but never managed an Australian or U.S. Open crown , both tournaments fought out on hard courts . Describing what makes the French Open so special in an rare one-on-one interview with Indian Web site Rediff.com in 2001 , Borg said : `` It is toughest to win on clay . It is easily the most draining , the toughest Slam . '' Offering advice to Sampras , who was at the time still playing for a French Open title , Borg added , `` I would advise him to concentrate on mental strength , to build it up , to hold that strength over the course of the fortnight . `` Along with that , you also need a great deal of physical strength . And most importantly , you have to believe that you can win on clay . '' It is not surprising therefore , that Spanish players -- who are generally well-accustomed to playing on clay -- have come to dominate the tournament in recent years . Nine of the last 12 French Open finals have featured at least one Spaniard . The tournament is still held in high regard by France 's population . A record crowd of more than 450,000 people came to watch the action at Roland Garros in 2008 , and according to the tournament organizers , it is the most-watched French event in the world . First played in 1891 as a national tournament , it became an international event in 1925 , and in 1928 moved to the Roland Garros facility at Porte d'Auteuil in Paris , where it remains today . Its chosen title , Roland Garros , was the name of a legendary World War One French aviator , who had frequented the tennis venue when he studied in Paris . The 2009 edition of what Borg called `` the toughest Slam '' promises to be just as entertaining and draining as those that have gone before . World number one Rafael Nadal is searching for his fifth consecutive title to usurp Borg 's record of four in a row , which he currently equals . Meanwhile , world number two Roger Federer is looking to avenge three consecutive final defeats at the hands of Nadal . In the women 's draw , the tournament appears wide open . Last year 's champion Ana Ivanovic has slipped to eighth in the world rankings , while the top four ranked players have only one French Open title between them .", "question": "What have legendary players like Sampras and Federer have failed to do ?", "answer": "won the French Open"}, {"story_text": "NEW DELHI , India -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Flashback to 1984 : As a child , I am glued to my family 's black-and-white television set for our daily dose of evening entertainment and news on India 's national broadcaster . India holds its first rocket launch from a fishing village in southern India on November 21 , 1963 . But this is no ordinary newscast : Prime Minister Indira Gandhi is speaking via videolink with astronaut Rakesh Sharma , who is aboard a space station . Indian pride soared as Squadron Leader Sharma , an Indian Air Force pilot , became the first in the nation to explore the celestial realm , part of a joint mission with what was then the Soviet Union . I do n't remember what show it was , but it etched India 's `` astronomical feat '' in the minds of those who watched it , including a 10-year-old like me . But the Indian connection to space was much older than that milestone . In the country 's space calendar , November 21 , 1963 , is a key date : It marks the first rocket launch from a fishing village in southern India . Nike-Apache , a two-stage sounding rocket imported from the United States , took off that day from Thumba , a site that eventually became a favorite location for similar experiments by international scientists . So far , there have been some 2,200 sounding-rocket launches from that facility , according to the Vikram Sarabhai Space Center . But the South Asian nation 's space program has been far more expansive -- the Indian Space Research Organization -LRB- ISRO -RRB- has more than 60 events that it lists as `` milestones '' since 1962-63 , which includes the successful use of polar and geosynchronous satellite launch vehicles . See India 's space odyssey in photos '' Fast forward to 2008 : The country launches its first unmanned mission to the Moon in what is being seen as the 21st-Century , Asian version of the space race between the United States and the USSR -- but this time the two nations involved are India and China . In September of that same year , a Chinese astronaut took a spacewalk , his country 's first . A month later , India sent Chandrayaan-1 -- Chandrayaan means `` moon craft '' in Sanskrit -- on a two-year mission to take high-resolution , three-dimensional images of the lunar surface , especially the permanently-shadowed polar regions . The craft , carrying payloads from the United States , the European Union and Bulgaria , will search for evidence of water or ice and attempt to identify the chemical composition of certain lunar rocks . Nonetheless , India maintains competition does not drive its space program . Vikram Sarabhai , seen as the father of India 's space program , made this case for government funding of the program in the 1960s : `` We do not have the fantasy of competing with the economically-advanced nations in the exploration of the Moon or the planets or manned space-flight , '' Sarabhai said , according to ISRO 's Website . `` But we are convinced that if we are to play a meaningful role nationally , and in the community of nations , we must be second to none in the application of advanced technologies to the real problems of man and society , '' said Sarabhai , in what the agency described as a `` vision '' for India 's space endeavors . Earlier this year , the Indian government increased the federal budget for space research to around $ 1 billion from some $ 700 million , ISRO spokesman S. Satish told CNN , as scientists propose to send astronauts into space by 2015 on solely Indian missions . ISRO was also studying the feasibility of sending a manned craft to the Moon by 2020 , Satish said , adding that plans for unmanned Mars missions in the coming years have not been finalized . The space agency dropped a TV-sized probe on the Moon last November that it said sent sufficient signals to the mother craft before a crash landing . But the country 's space ambitions are not limited to public research endeavors , Satish said . `` We have just entered the commercial satellite launch market , '' he said , including what ISRO noted is now the world 's largest constellation of remote-sensing satellites . These satellites , according to the Vikram Sarabhai Space Center , capture images of the Earth that are used in a range of applications -- agriculture , water resources , urban development , mineral prospecting , environment , forestry , drought and flood forecasting , ocean resources and disaster management . Another major system , or INSAT , is used for communication , television and meteorology . `` We have mastered the space technology in these 40 years . We have already sent an unmanned mission to the Moon and now we look forward to sending a manned one there , '' Satish said .", "question": "when did india launch its first rocket", "answer": "November 21 , 1963"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Inspectors have found `` nothing unusual '' in the rest of Southwest Airlines ' fleet of 737-300s after a football-sized hole in one of the jets forced an emergency landing , an airline spokeswoman said Tuesday . The breach in the aircraft 's fuselage caused a loss of cabin pressure . No passengers were injured . The airline inspected its roughly 200 Boeing 737-300s overnight following the incident that forced Southwest Flight 2294 to make an emergency landing in Charleston , West Virginia . A sudden drop in cabin pressure caused the jet 's oxygen masks to deploy , but there were no injuries among the 126 passengers or the five-member crew . Marilee McInnis , a Southwest spokeswoman , said the jets were inspected during non-operational hours overnight , and the cause of the incident remained unknown Tuesday morning . The airline is working closely with the National Transportation Safety Board to investigate the matter , she said . Flight 2294 was at 34,000 feet , en route from Nashville , Tennessee , to Baltimore , Maryland , when the incident happened , McInnis said . See map of flight path '' `` About 45 minutes into the flight , there was a loud pop . No one really knew what it was , '' passenger Steve Hall told CNN Radio . Watch as passenger describes watching the hole form '' The plane landed in Charleston at 5:10 p.m. after the crew reported the sudden drop in cabin pressure , which caused the jet 's oxygen masks to deploy . `` We were seated about two rows back from the wing , and four rows back you heard this loud rush and your ears popped , and you could tell that part of the inside was trying to pull out , '' passenger Sheryl Bryant told CNN affiliate WBAL-TV upon arriving in Baltimore aboard a replacement plane . `` And it was crazy -- the oxygen masks dropped , '' she continued . She put her mask on her face , then helped her 4 - and 6-year-old children with theirs , she said . Bryant tried to stay calm and reassure her children , she said . Watch Bryant 's account of acting brave '' `` My kids and I , we prayed , and then we said , you know , life will be fine , '' she said . Bryant praised the flight crew and ground personnel for keeping passengers informed and for giving clear instructions . `` We have a tremendous talent represented in the pilots and the flight crew , '' another passenger , Pastor Alvin Kibble , told WBAL-TV . `` I think we need to value them far more than perhaps what we do . It 's very easy for us to begin to take things for granted . '' The damaged aircraft was still parked at Charleston 's Yeager Airport on Tuesday , when NTSB officials arrived to inspect the plane , airport spokesman Brian Belcher said . A complete inspection could take one to two days , and investigators are expected to interview the passengers and crew as well , he said . The airline is `` doing things '' for the affected passengers on Monday 's flight , but McInnis would not say whether they would receive refunds . Both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident , FAA spokeswoman Holly Baker said . `` There is no responsible way to speculate as to a cause at this point , '' Southwest said in a statement Monday night . `` We have safety procedures in place , and they were followed in this instance to get all passengers and crew safely on the ground , '' the airline said . `` Reports we have are that our passengers were calm and that our pilots and flight attendants did a great job getting the aircraft on the ground safely . '' CNN 's Shawn Nottingham and Stephanie Gallman contributed to this report .", "question": "What causes the cabin to depressurize ?", "answer": "The breach in the aircraft 's fuselage"}, {"story_text": "BOLINGBROOK , Illinois -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The disappearance of a suburban Chicago police sergeant 's wife is now being treated as a potential homicide , and her husband is a suspect , authorities said Friday . Stacy Peterson , 23 , has been missing from her suburban Chicago home since October 28 . In another development , a judge signed an order to exhume the body of Drew Peterson 's third wife , who was found drowned in a bathtub in 2004 , said Will County State Attorney James Glasgow . Peterson , 53 , said he last spoke to 23-year-old Stacy Peterson -- his fourth wife -- the night of October 28 . Drew Peterson initially told the media he believed his wife ran off with another man , but he has n't repeated that accusation . CNN has been unable to contact Drew Peterson for comment . The couple have been married four years and have two children , who have been interviewed for the investigation , Glasgow said . Drew Peterson also has older children from a previous marriage . Investigators have twice searched the couple 's home and vehicles , and removed several items , including computers , said Illinois State Police Capt. Carl Dobrich . Drew Peterson allowed a limited search on the night his wife was reported missing , but investigators were not allowed to look throughout the entire house and were given access to only one of the vehicles at that time , Dobrich said . `` Early on , we looked at this as a missing persons case , but also believed strongly ... it was strongly starting to look at Drew Peterson as being a person of interest , '' Dobrich said . `` I would say that right now , Drew Peterson has gone from being a person of interest to being a suspect . '' New information turned up during the investigation also raised questions about the death of Peterson 's third wife , Kathleen Savio , which was ruled an accident by a coroner 's jury , Glasgow said . `` There are strong indications that it was a homicide , '' he said . `` That 's why we are doing the exhumation , because there are tests that need to be done that were n't done during the first autopsy . '' Watch why authorities want to exhume the body '' Glasgow cited abrasions on Savio 's body and a gash on her head that could not be readily explained . `` Our main thrust is to determine whether or not it was a homicide , and as we do that , we will see if there is any evidence that implicates anyone , '' he said . Glasgow , who was not state attorney at the time of Savio 's death , said he reviewed the case file before deciding to reopen the case . `` With 29 years of experience , there was no doubt in my mind it was n't an accident , '' he said . `` That was clear . '' In 2002 , Savio was charged once with battery and once with domestic battery against her husband , but was found not guilty at trial , Glasgow said . Another time , she tried to bring domestic battery charges against Peterson , but no charges were ever filed . Savio 's sister , Sue Doman , said Savio expressed fear of Drew Peterson . `` She told me all the time , ` He 's gon na kill me . It 's gon na look like an accident , ' '' Doman said . Doman said she did n't believe her sister could have died in the way the investigation concluded . `` I do n't understand accidental drowning . You just do n't drown in the bathtub , especially a small whirlpool . You just do n't do that , '' she said . Meanwhile , friends and family of Stacy Peterson said she expressed concerns about her husband . A friend , Steve Cesare , has told CNN he received e-mail from her describing her relationship as abusive . The woman 's aunt , Candace Aikin , of El Monte , California , said Stacy Peterson confided in her that there were problems during a visit to the Peterson home in suburban Chicago last month . `` She said that she was afraid because he was following her around 24/7 , even inside the house , '' Aikin said . `` He was very obsessed and stalking her , even inside her house . She was very , very full of stress and just not happy in her marriage at all , '' Aikin said . E-mail to a friend", "question": "What does Peterson think happened to his fourth wife ?", "answer": "believed his wife ran off with another man"}, {"story_text": "LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Michael Jackson 's memorial service will take place Tuesday morning in the Staples Center , the 20,000-seat coliseum in downtown Los Angeles where Jackson rehearsed his show the night before he died , according to a person who has been briefed by a representative of the family . Michael Jackson was rehearsing at Los Angeles ' Staples Center . His memorial will now be there . No other details about the service , set to begin at 10 a.m. Tuesday , have been revealed . Thursday , CNN learned the family trust created by Jackson to receive all of his assets includes his mother , his children and a list of charities , according to a person with direct knowledge to the contents of the trust . Katherine Jackson 's 40 percent share would go to Michael Jackson 's three children after her death , the source said . The children -- ages 7 , 11 and 12 -- will also share 40 percent of the estate 's assets and the remaining 20 percent will benefits charities designated by the executors of the will , the source said . Jackson 's will did not specify where he wished to be buried . Many of his fans had hoped they 'd get a chance to pay last respects at Neverland Ranch , which Jackson purchased in 1987 , filled with animals and amusement rides , and named after the fictional world in J.M. Barrie 's `` Peter Pan . '' Planning had been under way for a motorcade to carry Jackson 's body from Los Angeles to the ranch in Santa Barbara County , California , which state and local officials suggested would be difficult and costly . A public viewing at the ranch on Friday also had been under consideration , law enforcement sources said . Gregory Son , a 31-year-old musician , was among many fans who had planned to ride to the ranch to say goodbye to Jackson . `` I think he was a modern-day prophet , '' Son said outside Grauman 's Chinese Theater in Hollywood . `` We kind of lost our father . '' DEA joins investigation On Wednesday night , a federal law enforcement official said Wednesday night that the Drug Enforcement Administration had joined Jackson 's death investigation , once again fanning speculation that drugs may have been involved in the pop icon 's passing . Two law enforcement officials separately confirmed the DEA probe , saying agents would look at various doctors involved with Jackson , their practices and their possible sources of medicine supply . Neither official wanted to be identified because they could not comment publicly on the matter . Officially , a DEA spokeswoman referred questions to the Los Angeles , California , police department -- which would not confirm the involvement . `` We routinely offer assistance to any agency regarding the Federal Controlled Substance Act , '' said Sarah Pullen of the DEA . `` However , at this time , we have nothing further to comment about the death of Michael Jackson . '' Speculation about the role of drugs has been swirling since Jackson died on June 25 at his rented estate in Holmby Hills . The cause of his death , at age 50 , was pending toxicology results . On Wednesday , police released a car belonging to Jackson 's cardiologist , Dr. Conrad Murray . They had impounded the vehicle Friday , saying it might contain evidence -- possibly prescription medications . Police did not say whether they found anything . Murray 's lawyers issued a statement , asking the public to reserve judgment about the cause of death until the coroner 's tests are complete . `` Based on our agreement with Los Angeles investigators , we are waiting on real information to come from viable sources like the Los Angeles medical examiner 's office about the death of Michael Jackson , '' the statement said . `` We will not be responding to rumors and innuendo . '' The comments were in reaction to a claim by a nutritionist who said Jackson suffered from severe bouts of insomnia and pleaded for the powerful sedative , Propofol , despite knowing its harmful effects . `` I told him this medication is not safe , '' said Cherilyn Lee , a registered nurse . `` He said , ' I just want to get some sleep . You do n't understand . I just want to be able to be knocked out and go to sleep . ' '' Will nominates Jackson 's mother as kids ' guardian Meanwhile , details of Jackson 's will -- written on July 7 , 2002 -- showed that the singer estimated his estate to be worth at least $ 500 million . In it , he nominated his mother , Katherine Jackson , as the guardian of his three children . If his 79-year-old mother is not living , `` I nominate Diana Ross as guardian , '' Jackson stated . Singer Ross , 65 , is a lifelong friend of Jackson 's . The will said Jackson `` intentionally omitted '' his former wife and the mother of his two oldest children , Debbie Rowe . It will be up to a court to decide who gets custody of the children , ages 7 , 11 and 12 . Rowe has not publicly indicated whether she will challenge the Jacksons for custody . The two men whom the will named as executors immediately filed a request to take control of the estate . One is John Branca , who represented Jackson from 1980 until 2006 and was hired again before the singer 's death . He helped acquire Jackson 's music catalog , which is worth millions . The other is music industry executive John McClain , a longtime Jackson friend who has worked with him and his sister Janet . The men said in their filing in Los Angeles Superior Court that control of the estate would allow them to tend to Jackson 's numerous outstanding debts , legal cases and business obligations . Judge Mitchell Beckloff held an emergency hearing Wednesday morning and decided there was no urgency to replace Katherine Jackson -- whom he appointed temporary administrator earlier this week . Another hearing has been set for Monday . -- CNN 's Drew Griffin , Kathleen Johnston , Michael Carey , Paul Vercammen , Carol Cratty and Kara Finnstrom contributed to this report .", "question": "Where will the Jackson memorial be ?", "answer": "Los Angeles ' Staples Center"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A one-of-a-kind bicycle belonging to U.S. cycling legend Lance Armstrong was stolen from a team truck in California just hours after he rode it Saturday on the first day of a nine-day race . Lance Armstrong is racing in the California Amgen Tour as he attempts a comeback after retiring in 2005 . Cancer survivor and seven-time Tour de France champion Armstrong is racing in the Amgen Tour of California this week as he continues his latest comeback after retiring from the sport in 2005 . Armstrong 's first comeback came in 1998 , two years after he was diagnosed with advanced testicular cancer that had spread to his lungs and brain . Doctors gave him a less than 50 percent chance of survival . Armstrong announced the bike theft on his Twitter account Sunday morning and posted a photograph . `` There is only one like it in the world therefore hard to pawn it off . Reward being offered , '' the Texan wrote before going out and finishing fifth in Sunday 's testing first stage won by Spain 's Francisco Mancebo . Swiss Olympic champion Fabian Cancellara , who started the day in the yellow jersey after winning Saturday 's time-trial prologue , pulled out midway through the stage feeling unwell . Armstrong improved from 10th to fifth overall , one minute five seconds adrift , with Astana teammate Levi Leipheimer , the two-time defending champion , in second place behind Mancebo . `` Holy hell . That was terrible , '' commented Armstrong who had a puncture . `` Maybe one of the toughest days I 've had on a bike , purely based on the conditions . I 'm still freezing . '' The bicycle that was stolen is not the one that Armstrong rides every day during the race . The stolen bike is used only for time trials , a race in which cyclists ride individually at staggered intervals over a set distance and try to get the best time . The thieves took four bikes from a truck Armstrong 's Astana team had parked behind a hotel in Sacramento . The other three bicycles belonged to team members Janez Brajkovic , Steve Morabito and Yaroslav Popovych , Astana said . Armstrong , 37 , won the Tour de France , considered the premiere bicycle race in the world , a record seven times from 1999-2005 . The 750-mile Amgen Tour of California ends Sunday . It is the second major race in which Armstrong has participated since announcing his comeback in September . He raced last month in the Tour Down Under in Australia , finishing 29th . Armstrong said he is aiming for another Tour de France victory this summer and was not expected to contend in the Australian race , which he used to gauge his fitness level after more than three years out of the saddle .", "question": "What did Armstrong win seven times ?", "answer": "Tour de France"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President-elect Barack Obama will invoke God when he takes the oath of office January 20 , despite a lawsuit filed by atheist and non-religious groups , according to an attorney for Chief Justice John Roberts , who will administer the oath . President-elect Barack Obama has asked to invoke the phrase '' so help me God '' at the end of his oath . The groups have sued in federal court to block any mention of God during the inaugural ceremonies . Roberts was among those named in the suit . However , Obama wishes to conclude the oath with the phrase `` so help me God , '' Jeffrey Minear , an attorney and administrative assistant for Roberts , told a federal court in documents Friday . The Constitution mandates the exact language to be used in the 35-word oath of office : `` I do solemnly swear -LRB- or affirm -RRB- that I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States and will to the best of my ability preserve , protect and defend the Constitution of the United States . '' Some chief executives have embellished the oath with `` so help me God . '' It is not constitutionally required , unlike in other federal oaths . Historians have been at odds over whether George Washington established precedent by invoking the phrase on his own at the first inaugural in 1789 . The Library of Congress Web site says he did . Most presidents have used the phrase . iReport.com : Your photos from the inauguration Inaugural officials and presidents or presidents-elect usually coordinate behind the scenes on whether the judge or government official administering the phrase will invoke it . Michael Newdow , supported by several groups including the American Humanist Association , claims in his lawsuit that `` so help me God '' violates the constitutional ban on government `` endorsement '' of religion . He asked a federal judge to intervene and block references of God or religion in the formal ceremonies . The lawsuit also opposes the traditional invocation and benediction to be delivered by pastors invited by Obama . `` There can be no purpose for placing ` so help me God ' in an oath or sponsoring prayers to God , other than promoting the particular point of view that God exists , '' according to the lawsuit . The federal government revealed in its response that Obama wants to use the phrase . The declaration was apparently aimed at blunting Newdow 's concession that Obama could add the phrase on his own but that Roberts or any government official should not force or prompt him to say it . Among those named in the lawsuit besides the 53-year-old chief justice are the Presidential Inauguration Committee ; the Joint Congressional Committee on Inauguration Ceremonies and its chairwoman , Sen. Dianne Feinstein -LRB- D-California -RRB- ; and the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee and its commander , Maj. Gen. Richard Rowe Jr. . Newdow said December 31 that he did not name Obama in his suit because in addition to participating as a government official in the ceremony , Obama possesses rights as an individual that allow him to express religious beliefs . `` If he chooses to ask for God 's help , I 'm not going to challenge him , '' Newdow said . `` I think it 's unwise . '' A decision from the federal judge is expected in the next few days . The high court ruled against Newdow in 2004 after he tried to block the Pledge of Allegiance from being recited at his daughter 's Sacramento , California-area public school because it contains the phrase `` under God . '' He argued the case himself before the justices , making an impassioned plea that the teacher-led pledge forces religion on impressionable youngsters and carries the stamp of government approval .", "question": "What phrase do presidents add at end of oath ?", "answer": "so help me God"}, {"story_text": "Beijing , China -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- China and the United States , the largest producers of greenhouse gases , will team up to fight climate change and create clean energy , their leaders said Tuesday . Chinese President Hu Jintao and President Obama said their nations will cooperate to advance technologies and work toward a global agreement on reducing carbon emissions . `` As the two largest consumers and producers of energy , there can be no solution to this challenge without the efforts of both China and the United States , '' Obama said . `` That is why we 've agreed to a series of important new initiatives in this area . '' What would you ask Obama ? Share your question for CNN 's interview After Tuesday 's meeting , Hu told reporters , `` We agreed to expand our cooperation on climate change , energy and environment , '' which includes developing a China-U.S. clean energy research center . The declaration by Hu and Obama comes ahead of next month 's U.N. Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen , Denmark , and follows recent acknowledgment by the world 's top economic powers , including the U.S. , that there 's no hope of a major breakthrough on climate change by year 's end . The U.S. president said the two leaders want to accelerate the world toward a pact to cut greenhouse gases . The leaders did not offer a time frame , however . `` Our aim ... is not a partial accord or a political declaration , '' Obama said , `` but rather an accord that covers all of the issues in the negotiations and one that has immediate operational affect . `` This kind of comprehensive agreement would be an important step forward in the effort to rally the world around a solution to our climate challenge . '' Instead of reaching a final deal in Copenhagen , a strategy dubbed `` one agreement , two steps '' was unveiled at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum summit over the weekend in Singapore . The aim is to produce a pact over a longer period . The first step would be to have all 191 countries involved in the Copenhagen summit signing on to a framework that includes key ingredients , such as how to finance the coordinated effort to battle climate change . The second step , a binding deal on cutting carbon emissions , would be hashed out in further negotiations . `` Opportunity is knocking . It is up to you to open the door , '' U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement Monday . `` We must seize this opportunity to create a safer and more prosperous future for all , to reduce the emissions that are causing climate change and to help the most vulnerable adapt to impacts that are already under way . '' Like the United States and China , APEC and Group of 20 leaders -- the world 's leading economies -- have pledged to drive toward a climate-change agreement in Copenhagen . The conference , set to begin December 7 , aims to strike a deal on a successor agreement to the Kyoto Protocol , the 1997 pact that has legally binding targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions . The United States never ratified it , though more than 200 other nations did .", "question": "Where will the U.N. Climate Change Conference take place ?", "answer": "Copenhagen , Denmark"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the revised version of $ 700 billion bank bailout plan intended to bolster the ailing U.S. financial system . Wall Street traders had been watching developments in Washington closely . The House rejected the original bill on Monday , sending stocks tumbling around the world . But lawmakers approved the rescue package , backed by U.S. President George W. Bush and Treasury chiefs , Friday after the U.S. Senate passed it by a large majority on Wednesday . Congress voted 263 to 171 in favor of the bailout bill . President Bush signed the bill into law Friday afternoon . Stocks on Wall Street slumped Friday , as the brutal week ended . The Dow Jones industrial average lost 1.5 percent , according to early tallies . For the week , the Dow ended down 818 points , the biggest weekly point loss in seven years and the third-biggest weekly loss on a point basis ever . The Standard & Poor 's 500 index lost 1.4 percent Friday and the Nasdaq composite lost 1.5 percent . Bush thanked all those involved and said the bill was essential to stopping the crisis on Wall Street becoming a crisis in the wider economy . Bush said it sent a message to the rest of the world that the U.S. was ready to take action to ease the credit crunch . He said it would take sometime for the bill to have an impact on the American economy . Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke said he applauded the vote . `` It demonstrates the government 's commitment to do what it takes to support and strengthen our economy . The legislation is a critical step toward stabilizing our financial markets and ensuring an uninterrupted flow of credit to households and businesses . `` The Federal Reserve will continue to work closely with the Treasury as it undertakes these new initiatives . We will continue to use all of the powers at our disposal to mitigate credit market disruptions and to foster a strong , vibrant economy , '' Bernanke said . Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson , the author of the plan , said Americans would appreciate the leadership of their elected representatives . `` We will move rapidly to implement the new authorities , but we will also move methodically , '' he said . Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said after the vote that hearings would be held into how the U.S. economy end up needing the bailout . Pelosi said the U.S. needed regulatory reform to prevent the same situation being repeated in the future . She said a much better bill may have been achievable in different circumstances , but the situation was urgent and middle class needed to be protected . Stock markets around the world have endured days of turmoil as a consequence of uncertainty over Washington 's response to the credit crisis . U.S. markets opened brightly Friday , following heavy losses the previous day , amid fresh expectation that the bailout plan would go through . By 11.50 a.m. -LRB- 1550 GMT -RRB- the Dow Jones was up 1.79 percent and the Nasdaq was up 2.80 percent . Asian markets slipped earlier in the day with Japan 's Nikkei Exchange closing the week down 215.05 points , or about 1.9 percent at 10,939.71 -- a new three-year low . Hong Kong 's Hang Seng dropped 2.9 percent to 17,682.40 and key indexes across the region were all down . European markets were flat in morning trading , but rallied after Wall Street opened with London 's FTSE 100 up 2.15 percent , Paris ' CAC up 2.96 percent and Frankfurt 's DAX up 2.55 percent . The banking world has been in turmoil in recent weeks with many institutions scrambling for survival as credit has dried up , leaving many holding `` toxic '' subprime debt following the collapse in U.S. house prices . In the latest development Friday , troubled U.S. bank Wachovia announced it would merge with Californian banking giant Wells Fargo in a deal valued at approximately $ 15.1 billion . -LRB- Full story -RRB- The merger will include all of Wachovia 's banking operations , Well Fargo said . Wachovia had looked set to be sold to Citigroup in a deal brokered by the federal government . The core of the Senate financial bailout bill is a plan to buy troubled assets from banks , but the proposal includes a number of new provisions aimed at ordinary people struggling under the credit crunch . Blog : Will the bailout plan fix the economy ? The changes -- including $ 110 billion in tax breaks and raising the limit at which bank deposits are guaranteed from $ 100,000 to $ 250,000 -- were intended to attract more votes from the House -- especially from Republicans , two-thirds of whom voted against that version . Explainer : What next for the bailout plan ? But the bill also includes some odd sweeteners -- so-called `` pork-barrel legislation '' -- such as an excise tax exemption for a very specific type of arrow used by child archers , a $ 478 million tax incentive scheme to encourage movie companies to continue producing films in the U.S , and measures to allow employers to provide benefits to employees who commute to work by bike . Watch where 's the pork ? \u00c2 '' Speaking in Friday 's debate , Republican Congressman Steven LaTourette accused senators of `` larding up '' the bill . `` Let 's do it right . The pork does n't belong in the bill , '' he said .", "question": "Who backs the bill ?", "answer": "U.S. President George W. Bush and Treasury chiefs"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Breakaway conservative members of the Episcopal Church in the United States and its Canadian counterpart are expected to formally announce Wednesday the formation of a rival North American Anglican church . The consecration of Rev. Gene Robinson as bishop of New Hampshire left many conservatives disaffected . Leaders of the Common Cause Partnership , a network of more than 100,000 Anglican Christians in North America , are expected to unveil a draft constitution for a new ecclesiastical territorial division , or province , at an evening service in Wheaton Evangelical Free Church in Wheaton , Illinois , the group said in a written statement . `` The public release of our draft constitution is an important concrete step toward the goal of a biblical , missionary and united Anglican Church in North America , '' Bishop Robert Duncan of the Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , diocese , said in the written statement . The move comes after years of debate over issues from the interpretation of the Bible to homosexuality . Tensions reached a boiling point in 2003 , when the Episcopal Church consecrated an openly gay man , Rev. Gene Robinson , as bishop of New Hampshire . The move outraged worshippers with traditionalist tendencies , and since then , four dioceses and several parishes have left the Episcopalian Church , including Duncan 's Pittsburgh diocese . In all , the newly formed division will consist of about 100,000 members from the secessionist dioceses and parishes , along with splinter groups that had left the Episcopalian Church in earlier years , said Robert Lundy , a spokesman for the group `` This constitution brings them back together under one church , all aligned together , '' Lundy said . `` This is all these folks coming back together . '' Lunday said it was safe to say Duncan will lead the nascent province . An assembly is likely to be called next year to determine additional leadership , he said . The Rev. Dr. Charles K. Robertson , canon to the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church , Katharine Jefferts Schori , issued a statement saying it would not hazard a guess as to the consequences of Wednesday 's service . `` We will not predict what will or will not come out of this meeting , but simply continue to be clear that the Episcopal Church , along with the Anglican Church of Canada and the La Iglesia Anglicana de Mexico , comprise the official , recognized presence of the Anglican Communion in North America , '' he said . `` We reiterate what has been true of Anglicanism for centuries : that there is room within the Episcopal Church for people with different views , and we regret that some have felt the need to depart from the diversity of our common life in Christ . '' The Episcopal Church is part of the Anglican Communion , which is composed of 38 provinces around the world . It was not immediately clear which of the other provinces would recognize the Anglican Church in North America , but Lundy said in a meeting last year in Jerusalem indicated that some would do so . Lundy said the draft constitution will state the province 's core beliefs and doctrine . He said it will not lay out definite policies for issues the leaders disagree on , such as ordaining women .", "question": "A network of who were exptected to announce the formation of a province ?", "answer": "more than 100,000 Anglican Christians in North America"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A new study that surveyed racial attitudes suggests that racial prejudices could tip the balance in the upcoming presidential election . A poll finds a small percentage of voters said they may turn away from Sen. Barack Obama because of his race . If there were no racial prejudice among voters , Sen. Barack Obama would receive about 6 percentage points more support , according to an AP-Yahoo News poll , designed in partnership with Stanford University . The results suggest that 40 percent of white Americans hold at least a partly negative view toward blacks , including more than a third of white Democrats and independents . A small percentage of voters -- 2.5 percent of those surveyed -- said they may turn away from Obama because of his race . A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey also indicates that race could play a big role in November . Asked if race would be a factor in their vote , 37 percent of respondents said yes . But of that group , many are Republicans who are not likely to vote for any Democrat , and some are Democrats who may vote for Obama because of his race . Of the 8 percent of Democrats who told CNN they plan to vote for Obama 's GOP rival , Sen. John McCain , half said race was a factor . The survey , conducted August 29-31 , questioned 1,031 people and has a sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points . Experts point out that it 's hard to quantify racial prejudice because many people who hold prejudices are not going to admit to it . Watch how race could affect the election '' `` The hardest thing in the world for pollsters to poll for , with the exception of sexual behavior , is racial attitudes and how it affects behavior , '' said Walter Shapiro , Washington bureau chief for Salon.com . Shapiro said while people might say things differently off the record , racial issues can not easily be quantified . The pollsters for the AP/Yahoo survey used techniques that they thought would be more likely to lead to honest results -- such as conducting the poll online and using subtle methods and formulas to calculate racial attitudes . That study also suggests that the number of people who may turn away from Obama because of his race could be larger than what the margin of victory was in the 2004 election . Jeff Johnson , host of BET 's `` The Truth With Jeff Johnson , '' said , `` I think there is a concern clearly about the number of people who will vote based on race . `` But I agree -- how you quantify that number , I think , is very difficult . '' According to CNN 's average of recent national polls , Obama holds a lead of 5 percentage points over McCain . Johnson said one misconception is that racial prejudices are unique to conservatives or people in `` Middle America . '' `` There are liberals also in many cases that are racist . I do n't think we know yet how it 's going to play out , '' he said . In an interview that aired Sunday on CBS ' `` 60 Minutes , '' Obama said while some people might not vote for him because he is black , others might vote for him just because he is . `` Are there going to be some people who do n't vote for me because I 'm black ? Of course . There are probably some African-Americans who are voting for me because I 'm black or maybe others just inspired by the idea of breaking new ground , and so I think all that 's a wash , '' he said . Democrats , however , typically get close to 90 percent of the African-American vote anyway . Salon.com 's Shapiro said Democrats can work on increasing turnout among black voters but that it will be hard to make gains on the percentages they already see . Johnson said he thinks race will matter , and the best way for Obama to balance out any negative effect is to just stay on message . `` I do n't know if I believe it 's going to be a wash . I think it 's going to matter . This race is extremely close , and so every single demographic and every single point is going to count , '' he said . `` I think he has to speak to the issues of people in Middle America , and by that , it can counterbalance some of these racial issues . '' The AP-Yahoo News poll surveyed 2,227 adults . It was conducted August 27-September 5 , and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.1 percentage points .", "question": "What percentage of the African-American vote do Democrats usually get ?", "answer": "close to 90 percent"}, {"story_text": "Denver , Colorado -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- During emergency drills at Deer Creek Middle School , teacher David Benke used to tell his students that if anything ever happened , he wanted to be able to `` do something about it . '' When he saw a man shooting at students as they were leaving the Littleton , Colorado , school on Tuesday , `` What was going through my mind , '' Benke said , `` was that I promised . '' Benke tackled the gunman , who had shot and wounded two students , and with the help of another teacher and some bus drivers , was able to hold him until police arrived . `` I noticed that he was working a bolt-action rifle , '' he said . `` I noticed that and realized that I had time to get him before he could chamber another round . '' Still , Benke told reporters Wednesday , `` it bothers me that I was a little bit late . It bothers me that he got the second shot off '' and struck a second student . Authorities identified the suspect as Bruco Strongeagle Eastwood , 32 . Eastwood , who police said had been a student at the school in the 1990s , was charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder . He appeared in court via video link from jail Wednesday morning . CNN affiliate KUSA reported a judge ordered him held on $ 1 million bond . If he does post bond , the court ordered that he have no contact with anyone under 18 and said he must seek mental health treatment , KUSA reported . It also said that if he posts bond , he can not possess alcohol , drugs or firearms and must be monitored by GPS . The affiliate said Eastwood 's next court appearance is March 2 . Authorities released no information about a motive in the shooting , saying the case was still under investigation . Deer Creek is two miles from Columbine High School , site of one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history , where 12 students and one teacher were killed in 1999 . The two gunmen , both Columbine students , then turned their guns on themselves . The students wounded Tuesday , a boy and a girl , were taken to Littleton Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries , a sheriff 's office spokeswoman said . Principal Rob Hoover said one is doing well and the other was `` progressing well '' but was still hospitalized . Both students were eighth-graders , the school district said . KUSA reported one was Reagan Weber , who was treated and released from Littleton Adventist Hospital . The other , Matthew Thieu , was in serious condition at Children 's Hospital . In a written statement , his mother expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support , but asked for privacy as she focuses on his recovery . She said her son was recovering from a fractured rib and a lung injury . Eastwood 's father , War Eagle Eastwood , told KUSA that his son had struggled with mental illness , was behind on bills and could n't hold a job because of his `` not really knowing what he 's doing half the time . '' His son , who heard voices , tried to seek help , he said , but had no money to pay for it . Bruco Eastwood had been cooperative with investigators , said Jefferson County sheriff 's spokeswoman Jacki Kelley . Eastwood had been living with his father for about five years , and was unemployed other than working as `` kind of a ranch hand '' for his father , she said . He had been attending a community college attempting to get his GED . The rifle used belonged to Eastwood 's father , she said . Authorities found additional rounds around the school property . School officials could not give many details to reporters Wednesday because of an ongoing police investigation , but Hoover said the suspect had come inside the school earlier and signed in . `` We know he did that much , but then we know he left , and that was all we knew at that point . '' Assistant Principal Becky Brown told reporters she ran outside after hearing `` the pop '' and saw Benke tackle the suspect . `` When I saw Dr. Benke and the look on his face , I knew that we needed to help , '' she said . While Benke and the suspect struggled on the ground , she grabbed the gun `` and got it out of there , '' she said . Benke said the suspect threatened to sue him during the struggle , saying he was using excessive force . Asked why she ran toward gunshots when others might flee , Brown grew emotional as she said , `` Those kids are my kids , and it 's important , and my teachers , we 're like family . '' `` You 're just doing what you can do to try and protect your kids , '' Benke said . CNN 's Andy Rose contributed to this report .", "question": "How much is Eastwood 's bail ?", "answer": "1 million bond"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Barcelona and Manchester United are on course to meet again in the money-spinning European Champions League final after they avoided each other in the draw for the last eight . Josep Guardiola 's reigning champions Barca will face English Premier League side Arsenal in the quarterfinals -- a repeat of the 2006 final which the Spanish club won 2-1 . French striker Thierry Henry played for Arsenal in that game but has since joined Barca . Henry remains Arsenal 's all-time leading goalscorer . The draw for the quarterfinals of the tournament took place at the headquarters of European football 's governing body -LRB- UEFA -RRB- in Nyon , Switzerland where the match-ups for the semifinals were also decided . United will win the Champions League ... I feel it in my bones Alex Ferguson 's Manchester United were drawn against Bayern Munich , who they famously beat in the 1999 final . Bayern went in front after just six minutes of the final in Barcelona but United scored two injury time goals to stun the German side . Dutch coach Louis van Gaal is attempting to secure Bayern Munich 's first European crown since 2001 , after they knocked out Italian side Juventus in the group stages . Jose Mourinho 's Inter Milan are playing first time quarterfinalists CSKA Moscow . The Italian champions dumped Mourinho 's former club Chelsea out of the competition earlier this week . There is no country seeding at the last eight stage , which led to Lyon and Bordeaux being drawn together . Their tie means France is assured a representative in the last four . The Champions League is the most lucrative tournament in world football with the final worth an estimated $ 421 million , according to sponsors Mastercard , with the winners earning close to $ 150 million . The quarterfinal ties will take place the week beginning March 29 . In the Europa League draw English Premier League team Liverpool were drawn against Portuguese club Benfica . There is an all-Spanish tie in the last eight after Atletico Madrid and Valencia were drawn against each other . If Liverpool get past Benfica they will face one of the Spanish teams in the semifinal , meaning either an emotional return for striker Fernando Torres to former club Atletico , or for manager Rafael Benitez to the team he used to coach , Valencia . Juventus ' conquerors Fulham were drawn against German champions Wolfsburg while Hamburg pulled Belgian side Standard Liege .", "question": "What team is favorite ?", "answer": "Barcelona and Manchester United"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A high school dropout who stole the identity of a missing South Carolina woman and used it to gain admission to two Ivy League colleges has been arrested , police said Sunday . Esther Reed , who allegedly used a missing woman 's ID to get into colleges , was arrested by U.S. Marshals . A fugitive for more than a year , Esther Reed was arrested Saturday by U.S. Marshals in suburban Chicago , said Clark Brazier , a spokesman for the police department in Traveler 's Rest , South Carolina . Reed is scheduled to have a bond hearing this week in Illinois . South Carolina authorities are seeking to extradite her on charges of aggravated identity theft and wire fraud . Reed assumed the identity of Brooke Henson , who was 20 years old when she disappeared more than eight years ago from Travelers Rest , investigators say . It 's unclear how Reed obtained Henson 's personal information , but Reed used Henson 's identity to take the SAT and GED , and then applied to the schools , said Jon Campbell , a Travelers Rest Police Department investigator who spoke to CNN last year . Officials at Harvard University and Columbia University have acknowledged that a Brooke Henson was enrolled at their schools , but said privacy laws prevent them from discussing details . `` There 's a little relief that goes with -LSB- the news of Reed 's arrest -RSB- , '' Brooke 's aunt Lisa Henson told CNN Sunday . `` But -LSB- Brooke -RSB- is still missing . I 'd like to have some answers . I would love to see -LSB- Reed -RSB- and look her in the eye and say , ` You 're a horrible person . ' '' Police say they 're confident Reed was not involved in Henson 's disappearance . Authorities believe Henson was killed by someone who knew her . However , no body has been found and no arrests have been made . Henson 's family had heard nothing about their missing relative for years until the summer of 2006 , when New York City authorities told police in Travelers Rest that they had found her , alive and well , in Manhattan . The police relayed that message to Henson 's family . `` I was jumping for joy , '' said Lisa Henson . `` It was incredible . '' But the family 's joy was short-lived when it was revealed that the woman found was actually Reed . An ex-boyfriend told CNN that Reed -- posing as Henson -- often bragged about being a world-class chess player who earned a living playing the game competitively . The man told CNN that he believed her until he challenged her to a game and beat her . Originally from the tiny town of Townsend , Montana , Reed had been reported missing by her family in 1999 , around the same time that Henson disappeared . In high school in Montana , Reed earned poor grades . `` Esther was the kind of kid who would have been invisible , '' her English teacher James Therriault said . `` If you did n't take pains to notice her presence . '' E-mail to a friend CNN 's Gary Tuchman and Ashley Fantz contributed to this report .", "question": "Reed took what academic tests in Henson 's name ?", "answer": "SAT and GED"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Congress enacted a $ 300 billion farm bill Thursday over President Bush 's objections , but questions remain about whether a clerical error will keep the bill from going into effect . Congress voted to override President Bush 's veto of a $ 300 billion farm bill . The Senate voted 82-13 to override the president 's veto of the bill Thursday , a day after the House voted 316-108 to override the veto . Both override votes exceeded the two-thirds majority required by the Constitution . A portion of the bill , however , remains in legal limbo . Before the House override vote Wednesday night , lawmakers discovered that the version sent to the White House last week was missing a part . The discovery raises questions about whether that section of the bill , which dealt with authorized trade and food aid , would become law . The discovery of the missing section , `` Title III , '' prompted concerns from House Republicans that the override vote was improper . Democrats said the matter stemmed from a clerical error . But Republicans pounced on the `` fiasco , '' which they said would require a temporary extension of the current farm bill . `` What 's happened here raises serious constitutional questions -- very serious , '' said Minority Leader John Boehner , R-Ohio . `` I do n't see how we can proceed with the override as it occurred . '' However , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that the override votes in both chambers of Congress would allow the sections of the bill that were sent to the president to become law . `` So , the farm bill minus Title III would be enacted '' after the override votes , Pelosi said . `` But I 'm optimistic that we will be able to get Title III as well , either on its own or by sending the full bill again . '' `` Obviously , we want the complete bill . But ... we have obviously consulted with those who are expert on the Constitution and congressional action and presidential signatures , vetoes and overrides . '' In order to start the process of Title III to become law , the House passed the entire farm bill again Thursday by a vote of 306-110 . It is unclear what the Senate will do . It could pass the entire bill again , as the House did , or it could pass the portion not sent to the president as a free-standing bill . Two-thirds of the $ 300 billion in spending for the farm bill would go for nutrition programs such as food stamps . Another $ 40 billion would go toward farm subsidies , and $ 30 billion is allocated for payments to farms to keep land idle and other environmental programs . After vetoing the farm bill , Bush said it `` continues subsidies for the wealthy and increases farm-bill spending by more than $ 20 billion , while using budget gimmicks to hide much of the increase . '' The president said it would hurt efforts to improve American farmers ' access to overseas markets . Congress has passed one bill over Bush 's objections : a $ 23 billion water-project legislation that the president vetoed in 2007 . CNN 's Deirdre Walsh and Ted Barrett contributed to this report .", "question": "Who objected to the farm bill ?", "answer": "President Bush 's objections"}, {"story_text": "GOLDEN , Colorado -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sometimes the best way to roll with the punches is to roll the dice . Jerry Goldsmith was one of hundreds of people who turned out this week to apply for a casino job . That 's Jerry Goldsmith 's attitude . The Colorado man lost his engineering job of 29 years -- and the six-figure salary that went with it -- and is now applying for a casino job dealing craps , blackjack , roulette and poker . `` I was angry . I think everyone gets angry , '' says Goldsmith , 60 , recalling his New Year 's Day firing . `` It 's ` Why me ? ' But after a while I just learned : One door closed , but many more just opened . `` I just need to find the right one to go into . '' Goldsmith was one of 750 people who showed up Wednesday to apply for casino dealer jobs near Denver . Another 550 applied on Thursday . The applicants were going after 90 spots in dealer school . Earlier on Wednesday , Goldsmith had interviewed for a job as a cable TV installer . They were his first job interviews since losing his job . He says that , at first , he spent a lot of time on the Internet looking for work . He also contacted executive headhunters but was unable to find any leads in the engineering field . So he decided to expand his search into other areas . Goldsmith says he nailed the casino job interview and thinks he would make a great dealer . `` When you 've been working hard all your life , quitting is just not an option , so I 'll take on any opportunity I can , '' he says , adding with a laugh : `` Hopefully there will be some exchange of gratuity in the business so I make something . '' In a November referendum , Colorado voters approved a measure to expand betting limits at casinos in Colorado from $ 5 to $ 100 and to add the games of roulette and craps . The new rules will also allow the casinos to stay open 24 hours a day . They currently close at 2 a.m. and open at 8 a.m. . The state hopes to benefit from the increased tax dollars , a portion of which will help fund community colleges , but before the first new tax dollar goes into state coffers , the casinos need to staff up . `` Twenty-four-hour gaming adds a whole extra shift every day , seven days a week . You 're adding an extra shift in every department of the casino , '' says Jef Bauer , who runs three casinos in Black Hawk , Colorado , for Golden Gaming : the Golden Mardi Gras , Golden Gates and Golden Gulch . `` We 're looking to hire initially about 90 people into our dealer school , which we 're offering free to learn how to deal craps , roulette and blackjack . '' Golden Gaming currently employs about 400 people in Black Hawk and anticipates adding another 100 by July 2 , when the new rules go into effect . Black Hawk is a former mining town tucked into the Rocky Mountains about 35 miles from Denver . Black Hawk and its next-door neighbor , Central City , became casino towns in the 1990s . For years the towns flourished , but Bauer says times are tough now . `` We have just been through 12 months of declines in gaming revenues and head counts , '' he says , adding that he hopes the increased bet limits , new games and extended hours will bring the gamblers back to the tables . Before the hiring event even started , more than 100 people were lined up , waiting for an interview outside of a bar in Golden , Colorado . The would-be croupiers filed in , filled out applications and were assigned a number . They were photographed and then sat down for a 3-minute job interview . No experience was necessary for the casino jobs . Applicants who make the grade will attend a casino-run , part-time dealer school for three months , where they will learn the complicated games and qualify for a Colorado gaming license . The jobs pay between $ 40,000 and $ 80,000 a year , depending on tips . So who would make a good dealer ? `` Mainly what we 're looking at is personality and an ability to entertain , and intelligence that can be proven in dealer school , '' says Bauer . `` Most will probably never have dealt cards before . '' That seems like just the ticket to Andrea Pitts , whose only casino experience has been on the other side of the table . `` I 'm a high roller , '' she says with a laugh . `` I 've never dealt cards before , but I love to play blackjack and I 'm pretty good at it . '' Pitts , 41 , spent 12 years working in the trucking industry . But the bad economy has taken its toll , and now she has been forced to look for any kind of work . Like most of the other casino applicants , she never pictured herself dealing cards . But she says she is ready for the change of pace . `` You have to keep yourself motivated . It would be easy to sit at home and feel sorry for yourself , but that 's not going to get you anywhere , '' she says . `` I 'm not afraid to take challenges -- that 's what life is all about . '' Casinos are big business . According to the American Gaming Association , some 360,000 people work in 467 commercial casinos across the country , accounting for $ 13.8 billion in wages including benefits and tips . The industry paid $ 5.78 billion in gaming taxes in 2007 . Alan Meister , an economist and the author of `` Indian Gaming Industry Report , '' says there were 346,000 people directly employed by 423 Indian gaming casinos in 2007 . State governments often look to casinos as a quick source of tax income in difficult economic times . According to Spectrum Gaming Group , a consulting firm that monitors the gaming industry , at least 15 states have recently expanded or are currently considering expanding gambling . See a map of states looking to expand gaming '' It all sounds good to Craig Taylor . He spent 13 years in the real estate business , buying and selling investment properties . He says that when the industry was booming he was making a salary in the `` low six figures , '' drove a new BMW and lived in a house in the tony Cherry Creek section of Denver . But since the market tanked , he has been making adjustments . He sold the BMW and bought a used 2001 Jeep . He sold the house in Cherry Creek and bought a smaller house on the outskirts of Denver . Now all he needs is a job , and he thinks being a casino dealer might be a good fit . `` Real estate was a great job , great income , '' he says . `` But you have to do what you have to do in this economy and make the adjustments to where the job you have pays the bills . ''", "question": "What will the hours of operation be for casinos ?", "answer": "24 hours a day"}, {"story_text": "Lagos , Nigeria -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Nigeria on Tuesday faced international calls to bring to justice killer mobs armed with guns and knives who massacred hundreds of villagers in the country 's rural heartland . As more details of the atrocities emerged , Nigeria 's acting president , Goodluck Jonathan , replaced his national security adviser , although it was not clear whether the move was related to the weekend violence . At least 200 Christian villagers died in the attacks early Sunday , when groups of men with guns , machetes , and knives attacked people in three villages south of Jos , in the Plateau State , Human Rights Watch said . Other agencies gave higher death tolls . Sani Shehu , president of the nongovernmental agency Civil Rights Congress , put the number of dead at about 485 . And a Christian leader who participated in a mass burial of 67 bodies Monday in one of the towns said about 375 people were dead or still missing . Explainer : What 's behind the violence Human Rights Watch cited witnesses as saying the attackers were Islamic men and that they targeted Christians , mostly from the Berom ethnic group . The victims were in the villages of Dogo Nahawa , Zot , and Ratsat , about 10 kilometers -LRB- 6 miles -RRB- south of Jos , the state capital . The attackers had previously lived in the villages but left last month , Human Rights Watch said , citing multiple witness accounts . Witnesses , community leaders , and journalists who visited the villages told Human Rights Watch they saw bodies -- including those of children and babies -- inside houses , on the streets , and in the pathways leading out of the villages . They said many homes , cars , and other items were burned and destroyed . The U.S. diplomatic mission to Nigeria expressed its `` deep regret '' at the violence in the area . `` We extend our sympathies to those who have lost their loved ones and friends , and for the massive destruction of property , '' the mission said in a statement . `` We continue to urge all parties to exercise restraint and seek constructive means for addressing the continuing cycle of violence in Plateau State . Such loss of life and destruction can not continue to weaken the fabric of unity and peace that all Nigerians love . '' The mission called on the Nigerian government to make sure the attackers are brought to justice . Human Rights Watch called on Jonathan to make sure the attacks are `` thoroughly and promptly investigated '' and to prosecute those responsible . The attacks were reprisals for previous attacks against Islamic communities in the area and the theft of cattle from herdsmen , Human Rights Watch said . Police have arrested 98 people in connection with those attacks , the group said , citing official police figures . John Onaiyekan , the archbishop of Abuja , told Vatican Radio on Monday that the violence is the result of a dispute over access to natural resources , not religion . `` This kind of terrible violence has left thousands dead in Plateau state in the past decade , '' said Corinne Dufka , a senior West Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch . `` The authorities need to protect these communities , bring the perpetrators to book , and address the root causes of violence . '' Jonathan , who was installed as acting head of state in February while President Umaru Yar ` Adua recovers from illness , has called for calm . He put security on high alert Sunday and began operations to seek the attackers . Human Rights Watch said the additional military presence and patrols have been largely limited , however , to major roads and towns and have not protected the smaller communities . The most populous country in Africa , with a population of more than 150 million , Nigeria is almost evenly divided between Muslims and Christians . With more than 78 million Muslims , it has the sixth-largest Islamic population in the world , according to a study last year by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life . While some outbursts of violence are between Christians and Muslims , other disputes are based on ethnicity . The country is home to 250 to 400 ethnic groups , making it one of the most diverse African nations , according to the International Displacement Monitoring Centre . CNN 's Christian Purefoy in Jos , Nigeria contributed to this report .", "question": "How many Christian villagers died on Sunday ?", "answer": "At least 200"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The average temperature in Bloomington , Minnesota , in January was 6.4 degrees Fahrenheit . But that did n't stop Adam Frey from grilling outdoors and burning through 80 pounds of charcoal during the month . Leroy and Judy McMillin of Spring , Texas , own three Big Green Eggs and built an outdoor kitchen to house them . Frey received a Big Green Egg -- a ceramic cooker that serves as a smoker , grill and oven -- for Christmas last year . Since then , he has devotedly grilled six or seven days a week . `` Extreme cold is n't an issue as long as you dress warm , '' Frey said . `` I have and will continue to cook out every day if possible . '' The oval-shaped grill has amassed a cult-like following since it was born in Atlanta , Georgia , in 1974 . Fans of the grill call themselves Eggheads . Tell us about your grill of choice Frey began grilling more than 20 years ago but got his first Egg in 2008 . `` It changed everything , '' he said . He now owns two Eggs and calls himself a `` grill junkie . '' `` When you find yourself waking up , thinking about what you 're going to grill that night , you 're pretty addicted , '' Frey said . iReport.com : See photos of Frey 's grilled meals With a hefty price tag and weight -- some Eggs cost up to $ 900 and weigh more than 200 pounds -- the uninitiated may question whether the cookers are worth it . Eggheads , though , are quick to spread the gospel . Frey , who shared his story on iReport.com as part of CNN 's `` grill masters '' assignment , was n't the only one to express devotion to the ceramic cooker . Other iReporters shared photos , videos and stories about their egg-centricity . `` I am an Egghead . They should pay me , because I constantly encourage people to buy one , '' joked Brad Cates . Cates , an insurance and financial consultant in Ocean Springs , Mississippi , raves about the ease of heat control and versatility of his Egg . Fueled by charcoal , the Big Green Egg can reach up to 750 degrees Fahrenheit to sear a steak within minutes or cook a slow and low brisket for hours . `` It is better than any other grill or smoker I 've had , '' Cates said . `` I 've had numerous gas grills , and there is absolutely no comparison there . '' Cates tends to `` cook in spurts , '' firing up the grill for two or three days some weeks . Ribs , covered in his secret homemade rub , are his specialty . `` I try to do at least three racks at a time , and they are gone within minutes , '' he said . Thanks to Cates ' enthusiasm , co-worker John Lindsey decided to purchase a Big Green Egg . Now he , too , raves about it . `` The grill is like no other , '' Lindsey boasted . `` I have owned all types of grills , from the tiny charcoal grill to the giant stainless steel gas grills . But the BGE is by far my favorite . '' Lindsey , 34 , grills three or four times a week . His specialty is `` pork in general '' ; baby back ribs , pork tenderloin and pulled pork are some of his favorite dishes . He owns an XL Egg , which , according to the manufacturer , can cook 24 burgers , 12 steaks or 11 whole chickens at a time . iReport.com : See some XL Egg creations More than a million Eggs have been sold since the company began , spokeswoman Donna Myers said . `` Word of mouth literally made the Egg what it is today , '' Myers said . She noted that BGE founder Ed Fisher began the company with little advertising revenue . `` For many years , these devoted Eggheads became the company 's primary sales force , '' Myers said . Perhaps the biggest Eggheads in the iReport community are Leroy and Judy McMillin of Spring , Texas . The couple owns three Eggs and built an outdoor kitchen to house them . `` I think it 's easy to see that we love our Eggs , '' Leroy McMillin said . McMillin bought his first Egg , which he calls Lily , in 1999 . He has two smaller versions -- named Shirley and Maggie -- that he purchased in 2006 and 2007 , respectively . His three ovoid `` girls '' are housed in their own hand-built outdoor kitchen called `` The Coop , '' complete with a sink , mini refrigerator , countless chicken decorations and a red light to indicate when the grills are in use . McMillin and his wife keep the chicken/egg theme going by referring to themselves as `` Spring Chicken '' and `` Spring Hen . '' iReport.com : Take a video tour of `` The Coop '' McMillin , 68 , is retired and considers himself one of the elder Egg enthusiasts . `` There are a few Eggheads older than me and a whole bunch younger than me , '' he said . `` I envy their enthusiasm and creativity . They seem to want to take ` Egg 'n' to the next level . '' The McMillins recently attended a nearby Big Green Egg demonstration and cookout . Leroy , wearing his `` I 'm an Egghead '' shirt , proselytized to potential buyers . `` We just wanted to pass on to any prospective Eggheads how enjoyable cooking on the Egg can be , '' McMillin explained . In fact , he says , many friends have purchased their own green grill , thanks to his encouragement . The couple is headed to Atlanta in October for the annual EGGtoberfest , an annual event where more than 1,000 Eggheads converge to share recipes , meet fellow fanatics and purchase additional Eggs . McMillin says he enjoys both barbecuing and grilling and uses his Eggs , on average , six times a week . His wife , Judy , joins in the action , too . `` We both enjoy the ` Eggsperience ' together , '' McMillin said . `` Cooking has n't been a chore since we got our first Egg . ''", "question": "What temperature is Adam Frey grilling on ?", "answer": "6.4 degrees Fahrenheit"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- For years after his NFL career ended , Ted Johnson could barely muster the energy to leave his house . In healthy brain tissue , virtually no protein tangles , which show up as brown spots , are visible . `` I 'd -LSB- leave to -RSB- go see my kids for maybe 15 minutes , '' said Johnson . `` Then I would go back home and close the curtains , turn the lights off and I 'd stay in bed . That was my routine for two years . `` Those were bad days . '' These days , the former linebacker is less likely to recount the hundreds of tackles , scores of quarterback sacks or the three Super Bowl rings he earned as a linebacker for the New England Patriots . He is more likely to talk about suffering more than 100 concussions . `` I can definitely point to 2002 when I got back-to-back concussions . That 's where the problems started , '' said Johnson , who retired after those two concussions . `` The depression , the sleep disorders and the mental fatigue . '' Until recently , the best medical definition for concussion was a jarring blow to the head that temporarily stunned the senses , occasionally leading to unconsciousness . It has been considered an invisible injury , impossible to test -- no MRI , no CT scan can detect it . Watch more on what goes on in athlete 's brains '' But today , using tissue from retired NFL athletes culled posthumously , the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy -LRB- CSTE -RRB- , at the Boston University School of Medicine , is shedding light on what concussions look like in the brain . The findings are stunning . Far from innocuous , invisible injuries , concussions confer tremendous brain damage . That damage has a name : chronic traumatic encephalopathy -LRB- CTE -RRB- . On Tuesday afternoon , researchers at the CSTE released a study about the sixth documented case of CTE in former NFL player Tom McHale , who died in 2008 at the age of 45 , and the youngest case to date , an 18-year-old multi-sport athlete who suffered multiple concussions . While CTE in an ex-NFL player 's brain may have been expected , the beginnings of brain damage in an 18-year-old brain was a `` shocking '' finding , according to Dr. Ann McKee , a neuropathologist at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Bedford , Massachusetts , and co-director of the CSTE . `` We think this is how chronic traumatic encephalopathy starts , '' said McKee . `` This is speculation , but I think we can assume that this would have continued to expand . '' CTE has thus far been found in the brains of six out of six former NFL players . `` What 's been surprising is that it 's so extensive , '' said McKee . `` It 's throughout the brain , not just on the superficial aspects of the brain , but it 's deep inside . '' CSTE studies reveal brown tangles flecked throughout the brain tissue of former NFL players who died young -- some as early as their 30s or 40s . McKee , who also studies Alzheimer 's disease , says the tangles closely resemble what might be found in the brain of an 80-year-old with dementia . `` I knew what traumatic brain disease looked like in the very end stages , in the most severe cases , '' said McKee . `` To see the kind of changes we 're seeing in 45-year-olds is basically unheard of . '' The damage affects the parts of the brain that control emotion , rage , hypersexuality , even breathing , and recent studies find that CTE is a progressive disease that eventually kills brain cells . Chris Nowinski knows well the impact of concussions . He was a football star at Harvard before wrestling professionally with World Wrestling Entertainment . In one moment , his dreams of a long career wrestling were dashed by a kick to his chin . That kick , which caused Nowinski to black out and effectively ended his career , capped a career riddled with concussions . `` My world changed , '' said Nowinski . `` I had depression . I had memory problems . My head hurt for five years . '' Nowinski began searching for studies , and what he found startled him . `` I realized when I was visiting a lot of doctors , they were n't giving me very good answers about what was wrong with my head , '' said Nowinski . `` I read -LSB- every study I could find -RSB- and I realized there was a ton of evidence showing concussions lead to depression , and multiple concussion can lead to Alzheimer 's . '' Nowinski decided further study was needed , so he founded the Sports Legacy Institute along with Dr. Robert Cantu , a neurosurgeon and the co-director of the CSTE . The project solicits for study the brains of ex-athletes who suffered multiple concussions . Once a family agrees to donate the brain , it is delivered to scientists at the CSTE to look for signs of damage . So far , the evidence of CTE is compelling . The Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy , along with other research institutions , has now identified traumatic encephalopathy in the brains of late NFL football players John Grimsley , Mike Webster , Andre Waters , Justin Strzelczyk and Terry Long , in addition to McHale . Grimsley died of an accidental gunshot wound to the chest . Webster , Long and Strzelczyk all died after long bouts of depression , while Waters committed suicide in 2006 at age 44 . McHale was found dead last year of an apparent drug overdose . `` Guys were dying , '' said Nowinski . `` The fact of the matter was guys were dying because they played sports 10 or 20 years before . '' So far , around 100 athletes have consented to have their brains studied after they die . Ted Johnson was one of the first to sign up . He said he believes that concussions he suffered while playing football explain the anger , depression and throbbing headaches that occasionally still plague him . Johnson said he played through concussions because he , like many other NFL athletes , did not understand the consequences . He has publicly criticized the NFL for not protecting players like him . `` They do n't want you to know , '' said Johnson . `` It 's not like when you get into the NFL there 's a handout that says ` These are the effects of multiple concussions so beware . ' '' In a statement , the NFL indicated that their staffs take a cautious , conservative approach to managing concussions . While they support research into the impact of concussions , they maintain that , `` Hundreds of thousands of people have played football and other sports without experiencing any problem of this type and there continues to be considerable debate within the medical community on the precise long-term effects of concussions and how they relate to other risk factors . '' The NFL is planning its own independent medical study of retired NFL players on the long-term effects of concussion . `` Really my main reason even for talking about this is to help the guys who are already retired , '' said Johnson . '' -LSB- They -RSB- are getting divorced , going bankrupt , ca n't work , are depressed , and do n't know what 's wrong with them . -LSB- It is -RSB- to give them a name for it so they can go get help . '' `` The idea that you can whack your head hundreds of times in your life and knock yourself out and get up and be fine is gone , '' said Nowinski . `` We know we ca n't do that anymore . This causes long-term damage . ''", "question": "What is damage from repeated concussions called ?", "answer": "chronic traumatic encephalopathy"}, {"story_text": "PARKER , Colorado -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Matt Keil did n't wait for a call to serve his country . Six weeks after Tracy and Matt Keil married in 2007 , he was hit by a sniper fire while serving in Iraq . He enlisted in the Army after graduating from high school in 2000 , and when the Iraq war started , Keil volunteered to go . Because he was single , he wanted to take the place of a parent , wife or husband who would otherwise be sent . `` I wanted to go over and serve my country , '' he recalled . After a year-long tour of duty in Iraq , Keil returned home to Colorado , where he met a young woman named Tracy who lived in the same apartment complex . He says he knew they were meant to be . `` I woke up one morning , and my roommate was gone . I called him up and asked him what he was doing . He said he was down by the pool hanging out , '' Keil said . `` I asked him if there were any hot girls down there , and he said , ` Yeah , there are . ' '' And the rest is history . Matt and Tracy began dating and fell in love , but he was soon told that his unit was being sent back to Iraq . Even though he knew redeployment was part of his job , this time things were different . He and Tracy were engaged to be married . Watch their story of love interrupted '' At the time , the enemy in Iraq was growing stronger , and Keil 's unit was headed to Ramadi , the capital of Anbar province and a violent insurgent stronghold . Keil had been in Ramadi in 2004 and knew the mission would be dangerous . `` They were definitely built up a lot more on our second tour , '' he said . `` Fallujah had just ended , and a lot of fighters from Fallujah had fled to nearby cities , and that 's what we were up against . '' Though their wedding plans were put on hold , Matt and Tracy decided to marry as soon as he could get a leave of absence . `` He got one of the earliest leaves you could take and came home in January , '' Tracy Keil remembered . `` The main reason we got married was , even though we planned on having a bigger wedding later , what if something happened ? '' On February 24 , 2007 , six weeks after their wedding , something did happen . Keil , an infantry squad leader , was part of a major offensive to reclaim a portion of the city . His squad was ambushed , leaving 11 men severely wounded . After helping evacuate his wounded men , Keil and his men entered an abandoned house . He went to the roof to look out for any potential danger . `` I jumped up on the tallest part of the roof to lay a camel net on top of the stairwell to kind of hide us from sniper fire , '' Keil said . `` That 's when I got shot right in the right side of the neck . Hit me like a ton of bricks . '' It was n't until he was back at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington that the couple realized the severity of his injury . Tracy was abruptly informed of his condition while Keil was heavily sedated . `` A doctor came in , thought I knew and made a comment about being paralyzed from the neck down , '' Tracy Keil recalled . `` He did n't know that nobody had sat down to tell me . ... I just collapsed . '' When Keil awoke , a doctor informed him that the bullet had hit his spinal cord and explained that he had a `` Christopher Reeve-type injury . '' After the initial shock , Matt and Tracy began to understand the full implications . For Keil , who was independent and admits to being stubborn , that was hard to swallow . `` Realizing that my wife was going to be helping me eat , cleaning me up , doing things like that , it was kind of devastating , '' he admitted . But the newlyweds stayed optimistic and started focusing on the next steps . One of the most urgent issues was figuring out where they would live once Keil was out of the hospital . Tracy and her mother would bring Keil house-hunting . `` They would get me in a manual wheelchair and carry me up flights of stairs , '' Keil explained . But they quickly became frustrated by what they found . Every house they saw would have to be dramatically modified to meet Keil 's needs . And that meant costs that he and Tracy could not afford . Then , in August 2007 , when Keil was just a month away from being released from the hospital , his wife received news that would change this lives . This time the news was good . A friend of the couple 's had submitted their story to Homes for Our Troops , an organization that builds specially adapted homes for disabled veterans . John Gonsalves , founder and president of Homes for Our Troops , and the organization had selected Matt and Tracy to receive a house built specifically to meet their needs . Best of all , it was free . `` It 's one of the most life-changing events that 's ever happened to us , especially after being injured , '' Keil said . `` We 're going to be in this house that 's fully accessible , has everything that it needs to take care of me , wide-open floor plan easy for Tracy to take care of me , and it 's just an absolutely beautiful house . '' After breaking ground in April , Homes for Our Troops utilized hundreds of volunteers , donations and community outreach to build the house so it would be ready for the dedication ceremony September 27 . Gonsalves , who started his career in construction , said he realized how many men and women would be returning home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with severe injuries and very specific needs . He wanted to volunteer with an organization that built homes designed for these disabled veterans . When he realized none existed , he started his own . He says he 's frustrated by the lack of urgency in helping America 's veterans . `` It just seems like this time around , we were n't really asked to do anything . It was kind of ` go about your lives , ' and I 'm thinking , how can everybody just put it in the back of their mind and go about their daily lives when our sons and daughters and mothers and fathers are in a faraway place putting their lives on the line ? '' Gonsalves said . Homes for Our Troops spends an average of $ 250,000 on each home , and only 7 percent of the group 's money goes to administrative overhead . The rest goes directly to helping disabled veterans . It gives people in the community an opportunity to give back through volunteering . The Keils ' home is the 33rd project the organization has completed , and the group has 40 homes in the works . There are 3 million veterans receiving disability compensation , and more than 250,000 of those are 100 percent disabled , according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs . With two wars still being waged and hundreds of thousands of America 's military men and women fighting , it 's likely the need for these homes will increase . The home has given Tracy and Matt hope for their future together , and they look forward to giving back . `` This gives us security for our life , '' Tracy Keil said . `` This is where we can have our kids , and this is where we can raise our family . '' `` We 're going to live in this house for the rest of our lives , and eventually when it 's our time to pass , we 're going to find a family to donate it to that really needs it , '' Matt Keil said . `` Our kids will be made well aware of that ! ''", "question": "What is the name of the organization that builds homes for disables veterans to meet their needs ?", "answer": "Our Troops"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Manchester United have accepted a world-record $ 130 million offer for Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid . Ronaldo is set to smash the world record transfer fee if he agrees to move to Real Madrid . The English champions have given the big-spending Spanish giants permission to talk to the World Player of the Year , according to the official United Web site . United said on Thursday that the Portugal winger had again expressed his desire to leave Old Trafford , and the club now expect the deal to be concluded by June 30 . Madrid confirmed on the club 's Web site that it hoped to seal an agreement with Ronaldo `` in the coming days . '' Real , who have fallen behind bitter rivals Barcelona , have swooped to follow up the $ 92 million signing of Brazil star Kaka from AC Milan earlier this week . What 's your view ? Tell us what you think about Ronaldo joining Real . Real also held the previous record when they paid $ 77 million -LRB- now worth $ 108 million -RRB- for Zinedine Zidane in 2001 . The club 's president Florentino Perez said after the Kaka deal was concluded that he would do `` everything possible '' to sign the 24-year-old Ronaldo , as he sought to build a new empire that would match his first stint at the Bernabeu . The 20 most wanted players in the world . United held off Real 's advances last summer , with manager Alex Ferguson traveling to the Portugal camp during the Euro 2008 finals to hold crisis talks with Ronaldo . The player committed himself to another season in Manchester , but was affected by injuries early on and -- despite a sizzling end to the campaign -- was unable to help United retain the UEFA Champions League title , losing to Barcelona in last month 's final . Perez is seeking to rebuild a team which finished second in the Primera Liga last season , nine points behind Barcelona , and again failed to progress past the first knockout stage of Europe 's premier club competition . He failed in his first bid for the presidency in 1995 , but won the 2000 elections on a promise to sign Luis Figo from Barca . Perez duly brought in the Portuguese forward and followed it up with a series of budget-busting transfers , including that of Zidane and David Beckham , as he created a team dubbed the `` Galacticos . '' United have been linked with moves to sign Bayern Munich 's France star Franck Ribery and Wigan 's Ecuador winger Antonio Valencia as Ferguson seeks to replace Ronaldo . Check out the latest transfer rumors and gossip . Perez has also expressed an interest in bringing Ribery to Spain from Germany . Ronaldo moved to Old Trafford in August 2003 in a $ 20 million transfer from Sporting Lisbon just days after scoring against United in a pre-season friendly . He made his first senior outing for the national side that November and helped Manchester United win the FA Cup in May before suffering heartache as Portugal lost to underdogs Greece in the final of Euro 2004 on home soil . In November 2005 , he agreed a two-year extension to his contract until 2010 . He was vilified in England in the summer of 2006 after his antics helped get United clubmate Wayne Rooney sent off as Portugal progressed to the semi-finals of the World Cup in Germany . After the tournament , Ronaldo revealed that he would like to leave United , but at the end of the 2006-07 season the forward agreed a new five-year contract . Watch CNN on why Ronaldo moved '' The next campaign he beat George Best 's 40-year-old club record for goals scored by a winger in a single season , with 33 in the Premier League and 42 overall . Ronaldo suffered an ankle injury as Portugal lost 3-2 to Germany in the quarter-finals of Euro 2008 , and told Portuguese newspaper Publico he would remain with United `` for at least another year '' . In December he was named Europe 's top player , then the next month he escaped uninjured after writing off his Ferrari sports car when crashing into a roadside barrier under a tunnel near Manchester Airport on his way to training . Read about it here . Ronaldo was named FIFA World Player of the Year on January 12 and went on to held United retain the Premier League title , but the club failed to become the first to retain the Champions League since its inception in 1992 .", "question": "What insane sum is offered by Real Madrid ?", "answer": "130 million offer"}, {"story_text": "ROME , Italy -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A U.N. report says hunger is on the rise globally and blames higher food prices . Populations within conflict zones such as the Democratic Republic of Congo are particularly vulnerable . The Food and Agriculture Organization has issued preliminary estimates classifying 963 million people as undernourished -- an increase of 40 million people over the past year . `` One out of seven people -- about 15 percent -- suffer chronically of not having enough to eat , '' said Mark Smulders , an FAO economist . The hunger report -- titled `` The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2008 '' -- said the world 's financial and economic problems could throw more people into poverty . The number of hungry had been increasing over the years before the rise in food prices , with warfare and political instability continuing to be among the factors causing poverty . The preliminary estimates lack a firm country breakdown , but last year 's figures are an accurate measure of where the problems are . About 907 out of 923 million undernourished people in 2007 , or 65 percent of the hungry , live in India , China , the war-wracked Democratic Republic of Congo , Bangladesh , Indonesia , Pakistan and Ethiopia . Smulders said about 27 percent of the world 's hungry live in India and 15 percent in China . The other countries each represent 4 to 5 percent of the world 's total . There has been progress in fighting hunger in the Asian nations of Thailand and Vietnam , and in the sub-Saharan African nations of Ghana , Republic of Congo , Nigeria , Mozambique and Malawi , the report said . Food prices have declined from their peak earlier in the year , but they are staying high compared to other years , the agency said . The Food and Agriculture Organization 's food price index was 28 percent higher in October than it was two years before . `` Prices of major cereals have fallen by over 50 percent from their peaks earlier in 2008 but they remain high compared to previous years , '' the FAO said . The agency said the `` rural and urban poor , landless farmers and female-headed households are the worst hit by high food prices . '' -- CNN 's Joe Sterling contributed to this report .", "question": "What is to blame for an increase in hunger ?", "answer": "higher food prices"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Author Arthur C. Clarke , whose science fiction and non-fiction works ranged from the script for `` 2001 : A Space Odyssey '' to an early proposal for communications satellites , has died at age 90 , associates have said . Visionary author Arthur C. Clarke had fans around the world . Clarke had been wheelchair-bound for several years with complications stemming from a youthful bout with polio and had suffered from back trouble recently , said Scott Chase , the secretary of the nonprofit Arthur C. Clarke Foundation . He died early Wednesday -- Tuesday afternoon ET -- at a hospital in Colombo , Sri Lanka , where he had lived since the 1950s , Chase said . `` He had been taken to hospital in what we had hoped was one of the slings and arrows of being 90 , but in this case it was his final visit , '' he said . In a videotaped 90th birthday message to fans , Clarke said he still hoped to see some sign of intelligent life beyond Earth , more work on alternatives to fossil fuels -- and `` closer to home , '' an end to the 25-year civil war in Sri Lanka between the government and ethnic Tamil separatists . `` I dearly wish to see lasting peace established in Sri Lanka as soon as possible , '' he said . `` But I 'm aware that peace can not just be wished -- it requires a great deal of hard work , courage and persistence . '' Clarke and director Stanley Kubrick shared an Academy Award nomination for best adapted screenplay for `` 2001 . '' The film grew out of Clarke 's 1951 short story , `` The Sentinel , '' about an alien transmitter left on the moon that ceases broadcasting when humans arrive . As a Royal Air Force officer during World War II , Clarke took part in the early development of radar . In a paper written for the radio journal `` Wireless World '' in 1945 , he suggested that artificial satellites hovering in a fixed spot above Earth could be used to relay telecommunications signals across the globe . He is widely credited with introducing the idea of the communications satellite , the first of which were launched in the early 1960s . But he never patented the idea , prompting a 1965 essay that he subtitled , `` How I Lost a Billion Dollars in My Spare Time . '' His best-known works , such as `` 2001 '' or the 1953 novel `` Childhood 's End , '' combined the hard science he learned studying physics and mathematics with insights into how future discoveries would change humanity . David Eicher , editor of Astronomy magazine , told CNN that Clarke 's writings were influential in shaping public interest in space exploration during the 1950s and '60s . Watch how Clarke stands among sci-fi giants '' `` He was very interested in technology and also in humanity 's history and what lay out in the cosmos , '' Eicher said . His works combined those `` big-picture '' themes with `` compelling stories that were more interesting and more complex than other science fiction writers were doing , '' he said . Tedson Meyers , the chairman of the Clarke Foundation , said the organization is now dedicated to reproducing the combination of imagination and knowledge that he credited the author with inspiring . `` The question for us is , how does human imagination bring about such talent on both sides of the brain ? '' he asked . `` How do you find the next Arthur Clarke ? '' Clarke was knighted in 1998 . He wrote dozens of novels and collections of short stories and more than 30 nonfiction works during his career , and served as a television commentator during several of the Apollo moon missions . Though humans have not returned to the moon since 1972 , Clarke said he was confident that a `` Golden Age '' of space travel was just beginning . Watch Clarke talk about sci-fi vs. reality '' `` After half a century of government-sponsored efforts , we are now witnessing the emergence of commercial space flight , '' he said in his December birthday message . `` Over the next 50 years , thousands of people will travel to Earth orbit -- and then , to the moon and beyond . Space travel and space tourism will one day become almost as commonplace as flying to exotic destinations on our own planet . '' E-mail to a friend", "question": "Where did Arthur C. Clarke die ?", "answer": "Colombo , Sri Lanka"}, {"story_text": "Orlando , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A former astronaut who was accused of assaulting a romantic rival in the parking lot of the Orlando airport will avoid prison after pleading guilty to lesser charges as part of a plea agreement . Citing Lisa Marie Nowak 's lack of a criminal history , Orange County Circuit Judge Marc Lubet sentenced her to a year of probation . She was given credit for the two days she served in the county jail after her arrest . Nowak , 46 , must also perform 50 hours of community service and have no contact with the victim in the case , former Air Force Capt. Colleen Shipman . She must also send Shipman a letter of apology within 10 days , `` a sincere letter of apology , not one of these vanilla things that I see from other defendants , '' Lubet told Nowak . `` It 's been almost three years since the events took place that caused this nightmare for Ms. Shipman , and you are 100 percent responsible . '' In addition , Nowak must complete an eight-hour anger management course within her first 30 days of probation , Lubet said . Nowak told the judge she had undergone counseling for 1 1/2 years and the counseling is complete , so the judge said he would not order more . Lubet said he was treating Nowak as any defendant would be treated , saying he doubts any judge would send a defendant to prison on a first offense . Shipman delivered an emotional victim statement before Nowak 's sentencing , telling the court she remains convinced Nowak planned to kill her . `` Shortly after I turned 30 years old , Lisa Nowak hunted me down and attacked me in a dark parking lot , '' she said , adding that she is `` still reeling from her vicious attack '' and attempting to piece her life back together . `` The world as I knew it before Lisa Nowak is gone , '' Shipman said . `` Every stranger I see is a potential attacker . Going out in public is exhausting . '' She said she has undergone nearly three years of counseling , but suffers from nightmares , anxiety and health problems such as high blood pressure and chest pains because of the incident . Nowak initially was charged with attempted kidnapping with intent to inflict bodily harm , battery and burglary of a vehicle using a weapon . If convicted , she could have faced a sentence of up to life in prison . Prosecutors accused Nowak of driving nearly 900 miles from Houston , Texas , to Orlando -- wearing NASA diapers to cut down on the number of stops she needed to make -- and donning a disguise before following Shipman from the airport 's baggage claim to the parking lot in February 2007 . Nowak 's attorney , Don Lykkebak , has denied that she wore the diapers . Nowak has said she went to the airport to talk to Shipman , who had begun dating Nowak 's former love interest , Navy Cmdr. Bill Oefelein . But Shipman , in her comments Tuesday , called that claim `` at best , ridiculous , '' saying that Nowak , whom she did not know , had ample opportunity to talk to her , as she `` stealthily followed me for hours . '' `` I 'm a very friendly person , your honor , '' Shipman said , adding that she would have welcomed Nowak 's company `` over some hot chocolate , while I was waiting for my suitcase to arrive . '' She recounted the incident and her terror as she realized Nowak was following her in the dark parking lot , as she could hear the swishing of Nowak 's pants as she walked . She said she sprinted to her car , and Nowak attempted to open the car door and beat on her window , then spun a tale of being a helpless traveler who was afraid of being in a dark parking lot . Shipman said she cracked her window , and Nowak sprayed her in the face with pepper spray . `` She blasted me with what felt like acid , '' Shipman said . '' ... I stomped on the gas and wondered if there was a gun pointed at my head . '' At a hearing in November 2007 , Orlando Police Detective William Becton testified that in a search of Nowak 's car , he found maps showing how to reach the airport and its layout , a buck knife and papers , including a letter Nowak appeared to have written to Oefelein 's mother . He testified he found used and clean diapers in the car . Police previously had said they also found a BB gun , a steel mallet , a 4-inch knife and rubber tubing in the vehicle . Shipman said Tuesday she thought she had escaped a carjacking . `` I had no idea that a highly paid , high-ranking military officer had just attacked me . '' When she found out she had been attacked by a `` sister in arms , '' she said , she was heartbroken . Shipman said the resulting media attention and scrutiny has placed additional stress on her and her family . Before sentencing , Nowak turned to Shipman and apologized . `` I am sincerely sorry for causing fear and misunderstanding and all of the intense public exposure that you have suffered , '' Nowak said . `` I hope very much that we can all move forward from this with privacy and peace . '' Lubet said he accepted her apology as sincere , but in sentencing her he noted that he was certain her conviction would affect her Navy career and retirement . Still , the judge told Nowak , `` you brought this on yourself , and I do n't have any sympathy for you in that respect . '' Shipman has left the military and Oefelein has left the astronaut corps , and the two live in Anchorage , Alaska , where they run a company called Adventure Write as freelance writers and photographers . People.com reported in July the two were engaged . Lubet also ordered Nowak to stay away from Oefelein after Shipman alleged in her remarks she found a book with suggestive notes inside that Nowak had sent Oefelein after the incident despite a no-contact order . `` No books , no messages , no poems , nothing , '' Lubet said . `` It 's not a problem , '' Nowak responded . CNN 's John Couwels contributed to this report .", "question": "Who was a former astronaut ?", "answer": "Lisa Marie Nowak 's"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- More than two dozen times in the past three years , authorities came to Phillip and Nancy Garrido 's ramshackle home at 1554 Walnut Ave. in Antioch , California , a rural property where Jaycee Dugard is said to have been confined for 18 years . Jaycee Dugard was locked in a shed tucked under a blue tarp in her alleged captor 's backyard . And each time , they left without learning of the secret shed where Dugard lived . The Garridos have pleaded not guilty to charges of abduction and forcible rape . They are being held without bail in the Contra Costa County Jail in Martinez , California . After she was abducted in June 1991 , at age 11 , Dugard 's disappearance spawned a massive search that continued , on and off , for almost two decades . Federal agents remained committed to the case , chasing thousands of leads . But they apparently never had the Garridos on their radar . The case of the missing girl evoked deep emotions that rippled across the South Lake Tahoe community . Strangers threw fundraisers and parades to raise money for search efforts . Friends and neighbors wore T-shirts bearing images of Dugard 's smiling face to give the case exposure . Elementary school students toted signs that encouraged the community to stay committed to the hunt for their classmate . All they wanted was to find little Jaycee Lee Dugard . And for some of that time , authorities were visiting the home of the couple now accused of abducting her . Watch an FBI agent talk about why clues were missed '' Interviews with public officials show that parole officers , law enforcement officials and firefighters visited the Garrido household but left without realizing that the kidnapped girl had grown to adulthood and was living in a soundproof shed hidden in the backyard . Two Dozen Contacts There were at least 16 visits from parole officers and seven by the fire department . There was also one by the sheriff 's office responding to an allegation that people were living in the backyard . State and local authorities have now begun internal investigations to find out why none of these visits uncovered the existence of Dugard , now 29 , and her children , Starlet , 15 , and Angel , 11 . Their makeshift home of tents , tarps and sheds was tucked behind a 6-foot wall at the rear of the Garrido property . `` I feel confident the sheriff will use this as an example of how to do things better , '' said Federal Glover , a district supervisor for Contra Costa County who also heads the community 's public safety committee . `` From this lesson , we will not have this type of missed opportunity occur again . '' One of the first red flags authorities might have caught was in 1993 , two years after the kidnapping . Garrido , who had been released from prison after serving 11 years for a 1976 kidnapping , violated his parole in April 1993 . It is unclear what he did or how the violation was flagged . As a result , he was placed in federal prison for one month and then released on house arrest for three months . He returned to the Antioch home , where he lived with his wife and his elderly mother . Violation Was n't Reported to Nevada But the parole violation was never reported to the state of Nevada , where the first kidnapping and rape had occurred , said Gail Powell , a spokeswoman for the Nevada Department of Public Safety . `` The state of Nevada would have taken some action , '' Powell said . `` I do n't know what , but some action could have meant putting him back in prison , pulling him off parole . '' In 1999 , the California Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections agreed to take responsibility and authority for supervising Garrido 's parole because he resided in that state . Garrido 's most recent parole agent visited the home at least twice a month since December , according to California corrections officials . Sometimes the visits were unannounced , said Gordon Hinkle , a department spokesman . Parole officers also checked on Garrido frequently before 2008 , Hinkle said , but he did not know how often or how many parole officers visited Garrido 's residence . The parole agent who most recently entered Garrido 's backyard did n't notice any children 's toys or items to indicate that minors were living in the house . The agent saw a shed but assumed it belonged to a neighbor . `` There was a deceptive false impression , '' Hinkle said . `` If you were to be on the property walking around , you would have seen a big fence . '' Parole Officers Carry Big Caseloads Hinkle said the parole officer performed his duties appropriately . The parole officer was also responsible for raising suspicions when two University of California Berkeley officers notified him that Phillip Garrido came in with his `` daughters . '' The parole officer called the Garridos in for questioning . California has one of the highest parolee-to-officer ratios in the country . State budget cuts are expected to strain the department this year , which could mean reducing the number of parole officers , Hinkle said . The officer assigned to supervise Garrido was also responsible for 39 other sex offenders . As recently as June , two months before Dugard was discovered with the Garridos , Contra Costa County firefighters responded to a fire on the property . They doused a car engine that had exploded into flames at the rear of the property , said department spokeswoman Emily Hopkins . They spent two hours there and then left . They also visited Garrido 's property in fall 2007 , after a neighbor reported fire coming from the backyard . In addition , they responded twice in 2008 and three times in 2009 to medical emergencies involving Garrido 's elderly mother , Patricia Franzen . Fire department officials were n't sure whether more visits were made to the home , because computerized records date only to 2006 . Neighbors Steered Clear Neighbors who had encounters with Garrido said they did n't take the time to get to know him . Some said they knew that he was a sex offender , so they steered away from his house . Others ignored him because they thought he was strange . Betty Unpingco invited the entire neighborhood to her son 's graduation party in spring 2006 . She said Garrido attended and brought speakers for the party . When Unpingco and several adults noticed him talking to the high school girls , they asked him to leave . Later that night , she said , when they saw him waiting outside his home to speak to the girls , the adults escorted them home . Feeling uneasy after the party , Unpingco checked the sex offender registry and found Garrido 's picture . `` It was just so bizarre , '' said Unpingco , who has 10 children . `` I warned my children to stay away from him and to always walk in twos . '' She did not notify police . In November 2006 , another neighbor did call police , saying she saw people living in tents behind the Garridos ' house . Contra Costa County Sheriff Warren E. Rupf said he did n't think the deputy who responded knew at the time that Garrido was a sex offender . The deputy spoke to Garrido in his front yard about the allegations , but Garrido convinced him otherwise .", "question": "Phillip Garrido 's parole officer checked up on him at least ?", "answer": "twice a month"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- AOL Autos -RRB- -- Chrysler and General Motors announced this week that they would shrink their dealer base in the U.S. Chrysler will close 789 dealers . General Motors announced the closing of 1,100 dealers . Chrysler will close 789 dealers , leaving them with approximately 2400 stores in the U.S. General Motors announced the closing of 1,100 dealers and hopes to be at a size of 3,600 dealers at the end of 2010 . While Chrysler dealers will be `` forced out '' by June 9 , GM is positioning for a smoother closing of its stores , with each shutting down when it runs out of inventory . Unlike Chrysler 's announcement , GM 's list of closing dealers will not be made public , leaving that decision to each dealer . What happens to my GM or Chrysler vehicle warranty ? Your warranty is valid through its term , regardless of where you bought your vehicle . In March , President Obama announced that the U.S. government would provide the backing for Chrysler and GM vehicle warranties under the `` Warrantee Commitment Program . '' Can I take my vehicle for service and warranty work to another -LRB- surviving -RRB- dealer ? Yes , but make sure it 's a certified dealer . If you 're going to take your Chrysler , Jeep or Dodge vehicle in for warranty work , you can do so at a closing dealership until June 9 . After that time , Chrysler will no longer pay those dealers for warranty work . GM vehicles will receive service and warranty work at closing dealers until they shut down . Will there be good deals on these vehicles ? The Chrysler dealerships to close will have about 44,000 units on hand , or roughly what Chrysler , Jeep and Dodge sell across the country every 2-3 weeks -LRB- using April 's sales numbers as a guide -RRB- . There will be deals , but be warned that if those 44,000 are n't sold before June 9 , Chrysler will work to redistribute them to other dealers . Whether the best deals will be had before or after June 9 is likely negligible ; if you 're interested in a Chrysler , Jeep or Dodge product , you will save a lot of money on a new purchase right now . One important factor to keep in mind is that approximately 10 % of those remaining units are 2008 vehicles . Be careful the car you 're looking at has n't been sitting on the lot inactive for too long ; cars actually do `` rot . '' GM 's dealer announcement is a different story , since the company is n't releasing the names of the closing dealers . Dealers who chose to disclose their shutdown may provide better deals . AOL Autos : Why do cars rot on the lot ? How many people and jobs are affected by closing dealers ? The impact on communities will be significant . Since dealers typically employ about 50 people and contract with a handful of suppliers -LRB- consider the business that sells paper or office furniture to each dealer -RRB- , there will be impact within the community . Some economists , however , believe that the impact will be less than expected , since dealers typically have a high turnover rate and technician jobs were in a short supply already . But , the related aspects of dealer closings are certain : think of the little league baseball teams and charities that receive funding from do-gooding dealers . Even real estate is affected ; car dealerships usually set the market for commercial real estate in smaller communities . When those go empty , the entire city feels the pain . AOL Autos : Pressure to buy American Why were these dealers chosen ? Both Chrysler and GM have expressed interest to shrink their dealer base . Company officials cite various data points related to choosing these dealers , but the main one is performance . GM said that the average dealer of the 1,100 affected only sold 35 cars in all of 2008 . Chrysler cites similar numbers , with half their closing dealerships selling less than 100 . But , even after these reductions by Chrysler and GM , they still have more dealers than other manufacturers . Using April 2009 's sales data as a proxy , Toyota has approximately 95 dealers per 1 point of market share in the U.S. , while Chrysler has 256 and GM will have 172 -LRB- at the end of 2010 -RRB- . This means that , effectively , Toyota is able to sell more vehicles per dealership . AOL Autos : Fate of the GM brands Can dealers do anything about this ? Typically , dealers would have protection under state franchise laws against such events . However , in Chrysler 's case , those franchise laws are not applicable since the company declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy . Chrysler dealers can -LRB- and likely will -RRB- protest the process by which they were chosen -LRB- sales volume , number of brands in the store , the area in which the dealership operated -RRB- . But after June 9 , the selected Chrysler , Jeep and Dodge dealers will have to take down their signs . GM dealers will likely organize their own group , but details of that are unclear at this time . AOL Autos : Are extended warranties worth it ? Even after cuts , do the big three still have too many U.S. dealers ? Some companies need fewer dealers to sell the same amount of cars : Chrysler LLC Number of dealers : 2411 Market share : 9.4 Dealers per 1 pt . market share : 256 Ford Motor Co. . Number of dealers : 3723 Market share : 15.7 Dealers per 1 pt . market share : 237 General Motors Number of dealers : 3600 Market share : 20.9 Dealers per 1 pt . market share : 172 AOL Autos : Six cars to save the big three Honda Motor Co. . Number of dealers : 1304 Market share : 12.4 Dealers per 1 pt . market share : 105 Toyota Motor Corp. . Number of dealers : 1470 Market share : 15.4 Dealers per 1 pt . market share : 95 Market data shown reflective of April 2009 , courtesy of Autodata . Chrysler dealer total is effective June 9 ; GM dealer total is estimate for end of 2010 .", "question": "Who announced that they were shrinking their dealer base ?", "answer": "Chrysler and General Motors"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- Oprah.com -RRB- -- A businesswoman , a mother of four , an international fashion icon , a woman committed to making the world a better place for women and children -- Queen Rania of Jordan is truly changing the world . Queen Rania says cultural dialogue , education and increased opportunities are ways to combat terrorism . Rania Al-Yassin was born in Kuwait . Shortly after Saddam Hussein invaded that country in 1990 , her family fled and settled in Jordan . After graduating from business school , Rania began working her way up the corporate ladder . When she was just 22 , she went to a dinner party where she met Jordan 's Prince Abdullah -- considered one of the world 's most eligible bachelors . He did n't remain one for long after that night . Six months later , Rania and Abdullah had a royal wedding and started a family . And , though they planned for a life as royals , Abdullah assumed he 'd remain a military officer for life . In 1999 , while on his deathbed , King Hussein of Jordan stunned his country by announcing that his son Abdullah -- not his brother -- would succeed him as king . That made 29-year-old Rania the world 's youngest living queen . Rania says that being queen is not the trait she defines herself by . `` I am not at all conscious of it , '' she says . `` I make a conscious effort not to be conscious of it . Because I 'm Rania , you know ? People call me ` Queen , ' but , you know , that 's not me ... I 'm Rania . '' There are many perks to being queen , of course , but Rania stresses that there are also responsibilities . `` One of the major misconceptions about this position is that people think that I might be far removed , that I might not be in touch with reality , '' she says . `` The honest truth is that my life is very much about dealing with issues on the ground , dealing with ... the problems that our country faces . That 's something I do on a daily basis . '' Watch how Queen Rania uses technology to reach young people '' When most people think of queens , they probably think of what they know from fairy tales . `` For me , it 's just real life , '' Rania says . `` I am a mother . I care about my children . I worry about what they eat . I worry about the influences from their friends . '' Rania is not only sitting royalty in Jordan , she 's raising the next generation of royals too . She is the mother of four children -- 14-year-old Hussein , 12-year-old Iman , 8-year-old Salma and 3-year-old Hashem . Rania says her family tries very hard to remain down to earth . The family has relaxed much of the ceremonial pomp and circumstance of their position . Rania prefers that people not refer to her as `` Your Majesty '' ... and King Abdullah loves to barbecue ! The family never discusses the possibility that Hussein , their oldest child , could be the future king of Jordan , Rania says . Instead , she says the family strives to remain like any other family . For instance , to get the things they want , the children have to clean their rooms and do well in school . `` The most important thing is to instill them with the right values , '' Rania says . `` I just feel that values are the shield that you carry with you throughout life . It protects you from whatever life throws at you . '' Rania has become famous around the world for her efforts to improve educational opportunities for girls and the rights of women . `` In my mind , poverty is a ` she , ' '' Rania says . Helping others is something Rania says she feels compelled to do . `` Once you feel that others are like you , then you want for others what you want for yourself , '' she says . `` And that way you start helping others . '' Rania explains that there is a direct relationship between increasing education and eliminating poverty . `` You can change the course of a nation through education , '' she says . `` One of the most important things you can do for a girl is empower her with her education . Once she has the education , she can then have control over her income , she can change her life , she can have choices . '' To understand what life is like for the women in Rania 's kingdom , `` The Oprah Show '' spent a day with a few women in Amman , the capital city of Jordan . One woman named Muna worries about striking a balance between work and motherhood . Part of that means preparing lunch -- the most important meal in Jordanian culture -- for her family . Unlike in America , most children and husbands return home to eat with their families for lunch . Just like in America , Muna cooks a variety of meals , everything from traditional Arabic food to hamburgers and spaghetti . In this largely Muslim country , one religious tradition is increasingly a matter of choice . Approximately 60 percent of Jordanian women wear a veil . Though Queen Rania says she has never worn a veil , she understands why a woman would want to . `` We think it 's a personal choice , '' she says . `` Unfortunately , in the West , people look at the veil as a sign of oppression or weakness . This is not true as long as a woman is wearing it because of her belief . I always say we should judge a woman according to what 's going on in their heads rather than what 's going on top of their heads . '' Rania says that when people focus on differences between cultures -- especially stereotypes and things like veils -- they fail to realize just how similar all people are . `` Once you go beyond the mannerisms , the language , the cultural idiosyncrasies , you realize that you 're basically the same , you know ? '' she says . Rania also wants to break down the stereotypes the West holds about her culture . `` I would like to dispel the misconception that Arabs are all extremists , that Arab people are violent and that women in the Arab world are oppressed and suppressed , '' she says . The struggle we feel today is not really Middle East against the West , Rania says , but rather it is between extremists and moderates of all religions . `` We need to speak up , '' she says . `` The biggest nightmare for the extremists is for us to get along , and that 's why we have to get along . We have to communicate more . '' In the future , Rania says she hopes for a more open and secure world . `` We look at problems happening halfway across the world and we think , ` Well , that 's their problem . ' But it 's not , '' she says . `` When you solve somebody else 's problem , you 're solving a problem for yourself because our world today is so interconnected . '' Rania says solving problems that stem from intolerance -- like terrorism -- require cultural dialogue , education and increased opportunities . `` We have to create opportunities for our youth so they have a chance in life , '' she says . `` Whenever you 're frustrated and you feel like you do n't have a future or you ca n't get a job , then you 're more susceptible to be influenced by terrorism and extremist ideology . '' Oprah.com : Africa 's first-ever elected female president From `` The Oprah Winfrey Show '' Subscribe to O , The Oprah Magazine for up to 75 % off the newsstand price . That 's like getting 18 issues FREE . Subscribe now ! TM & \u00a9 2009 Harpo Productions , Inc. . All Rights Reserved .", "question": "Who would like to break stereotypes the West has about Arab culture ?", "answer": "Queen Rania"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- As a spending bill loaded with pork makes its way through Congress , President Obama is getting pushback from members of his own party who are questioning his vow to end wasteful spending . The Senate could vote on the spending bill as early as Thursday . The president on Wednesday pledged turn tide on an `` era of fiscal irresponsibility , '' reiterating his campaign promise that the days of `` pork ... as a strategy '' are over . And in a prime-time address before a joint session of Congress , Obama last week praised the $ 787 billion stimulus package signed into law , telling the nation , `` I 'm proud that we passed a recovery plan free of earmarks , and I want to pass a budget next year that ensures that each dollar we spend reflects only our most important national priorities . '' But some in the audience found that hard to swallow . `` There was just a roar of laughter -- because there were earmarks , '' said Sen. Claire McCaskill , D-Missouri . Earmarks , sometimes called `` pork , '' are unrelated pet projects that members of Congress insert in spending bills . Watch more on the earmarks in the bill '' The scoffing continues as the president hammers away at reducing wasteful spending and saving taxpayers money while lawmakers on Capitol Hill load up a spending bill with more than 8,000 earmarks totaling nearly $ 8 billion . The legislation in question is a $ 410 billion omnibus bill that would keep the federal government running through the rest of the fiscal year , which ends in September 2009 . According to Taxpayers for Common Sense , a group that monitors government spending , the bill includes : About 60 percent of the earmarks are from Democrats , and about 40 percent are from Republicans , according to Taxpayers for Common Sense . Ryan Alexander , the president of the Taxpayers for Common Sense , pointed out that not all earmarks are bad . `` They 're not always good or bad . What 's bad is the process . We do n't know why certain projects get earmark funds and why other projects do n't . Some of them may be good . But that could be just as well by accident as it is by design , because we have no idea why these projects are funded and why other projects are n't , '' he said . Earlier this week , 14 Democratic senators met to talk about their concerns with the spending . On Wednesday , Democratic Sens. Evan Bayh and Russ Feingold called on Obama to veto the bill . Watch Feingold talk about a ` teary-eyed ' defense of earmarks '' `` But the bloated omnibus requires sacrifice from no one , least of all the government . It only exacerbates the problem and hastens the day of reckoning , '' Bayh wrote in a Wall Street Journal editorial published Wednesday . Democrats blocked amendments by Sens. John McCain , R-Arizona , and Tom Coburn , R-Oklahoma , that would have narrowed the spending on earmarks . `` So much for the promise of change . This may be -- in all the years I have been coming to this floor to complain about the earmark pork barrel corruption that this system has bred , this may be probably the worst , probably the worst , '' McCain said Tuesday . The spending bill made it through the House last week . A vote in the Senate could come as early as Thursday , but it 's unclear if there are the 60 votes necessary to sent it to the floor since some Democrats are n't supporting it . Obama is expected to sign the bill when it reaches his desk . But Democrats speaking out against the pork could just be flexing their muscles , said CNN contributor Roland Martin . `` I would love to see these same Democrats have the courage to actually stand up , look their fellow senators in the eye , Democrats and Republicans , and say , OK , let 's get rid of your particular project , '' he said . `` What often happens in Congress is , they complain in terms of the general ... What I am saying is , call them out . Put it on the table , '' he said . Those defending the earmarks say they make up just a small portion -- less than 1 percent -- of the overall bill . House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-California , on Thursday defended congressional earmarks , despite calls from the White House earlier this week to reform the process . `` The legislatively initiated proposals in the appropriations bill , I think , are an appropriate function of Congress of the United States , '' Pelosi said . But Pelosi said she does believe Congress should cut back on the number of earmarks . Pelosi said after Congress finishes the $ 410 billion spending bill for this year , she planned to work with the Obama administration to find ways to reduce the number of earmarks in future spending bills . The White House says this bill is just last year 's unfinished business -- and next time , it will be different . `` We 'll change the rules going forward , '' White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Wednesday when asked about the legislation . Obama presented his budget summary to Congress last week , but the full details of his 2010 budget wo n't be available until April . CNN 's Jason Carroll , Joe Johns , Kristi Keck and Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report .", "question": "How much is the spending for bill FY 2009 ?", "answer": "410 billion"}, {"story_text": "HAVANA , Cuba -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In a major shake-up the likes of which Cubans have not seen for decades , President Raul Castro on Monday reorganized his Cabinet , replacing longtime aides to his brother Fidel , who resigned from office a year ago , citing poor health . Cuban President Raul Castro is moving his own people into power , analysts say . Some analysts said the changes appear to be an attempt by Raul Castro to put his own supporters into positions of power . Among the changes : Felipe Perez Roque , the 43-year-old foreign minister , was replaced by his deputy , Bruno Rodriguez Aprilla . Carlos Lage Davila , an economist , lost his job as Cabinet secretary , but no mention was made of removing him from his other post as vice president of the Council of State . Lage , who helped guide the nation through its `` special period '' of dire economic times in the aftermath of the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the loss of billions in subsidies , was replaced by Brig. Gen. Jose Amado Ricardo Guerra ; Raul Castro is also commander in chief of the armed forces . `` It looks like Raul putting some of his own people in , '' said Wayne Smith , director of the Cuba program at the Center for International Policy in Washington , who led the U.S. Interests Section in Havana during the Carter administration . Smith noted that Cuba 's government underwent `` quite a few shake-ups after the revolution first came in '' in 1959 , but said Monday 's move `` is the biggest shake-up that I 've seen in a very long time ... for the last 30 or 40 years . '' `` This is obviously a major move , '' concurred Vicki Huddleston , who led the Interests Section during the administrations of Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush , and is a visiting scholar at the Brookings Institution in Washington . '' -LSB- There is -RSB- nothing like this that I can recall since the late 1960s . '' She noted that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez met with both Castro brothers during a visit late in February to Havana , on what Granma described as a `` work visit , '' and speculated that Raul Castro may have asked him then to buy in on the changes . `` They really need Chavez to be on board , because without the subsidized oil from Venezuela , they 're dead , '' Huddleston said . With the Cuban economy hamstrung by the world economy , Raul Castro may have decided it is time for him to make reforms of his own without worrying about second-guessing by his brother or his brother 's allies , she said . Huddleston speculated that the changes could portend the government once again allowing private enterprise to flourish in Cuba . Communist leader Fidel Castro experimented with that during the 1990s , but pulled back . `` It represents a significant step by Raul Castro to gain autonomy and , essentially , distance himself from Fidel 's old gang , '' said Larry Birns , director of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs . `` In other words , he feels confident enough that he has an independent base of power . '' He said Raul Castro 's moves to date have proven popular not only with his party members , but also with the general population . Still , Raul Castro should not take that support for granted , Birns said . `` It may be that , if he makes too many moves , the party will feel that their privileges are being taken away , and that will make them unhappy . '' Otto Reich , who served as assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs during the George W. Bush administration , said he was withholding judgment . `` It 's a little early to tell what this really means , '' he said . `` Some people are saying the Fidelistas are being replaced by the Raulistas . But the other side is : Are we talking about rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic ? '' The state-run newspaper Granma published an official notice from the State Council that said the changes were intended to form a structure that is `` more compact and functional , with fewer organisms of the central administration of the state and a better distribution of the functions that they carry out . '' CNN 's Morgan Neill and Shasta Darlington in Havana , Tom Watkins and Arthur Brice contributed to this story .", "question": "How long did the replaced aides work for Castro ?", "answer": "30 or 40 years"}, {"story_text": "LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Kanye West called Taylor Swift with a `` very sincere '' apology Tuesday for interrupting her acceptance speech at Sunday 's MTV Video Music Awards , Swift said . Kanye West called Taylor Swift to apologize for hijacking her speech at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards . West phoned Swift following her appearance on ABC 's `` The View '' Tuesday , her publicist said . Swift talked about it in a radio interview with ABC . `` Kanye did call me and he was very sincere in his apology , '' she said . `` And I accepted that apology . '' The apology came the morning after West , in an interview with Jay Leno , appeared to blame the pain of his mother 's death two years ago for his `` rude '' behavior . The rapper told Leno he would now `` take some time off '' to think about how he will `` make it through the rest of this life . '' West 's appearance on the prime-time premiere of `` The Jay Leno Show '' capped a 24-hour period that began Sunday evening with him strolling down the red carpet at New York 's Radio City Music Hall while gulping from a bottle of cognac . The low-light came about an hour later , when West jumped onstage and grabbed the microphone from Swift as she accepted the Best Female Video award . West declared that Beyonce Knowles should have won . West appeared sober and humble when he spoke on Leno 's Los Angeles stage Monday , an appearance that was originally to be just musical . Watch West give an emotional interview to Leno '' `` I immediately knew in this situation that it was wrong , '' West told Leno . `` And it was n't a spectacle , you know . It was actually someone 's emotions , you know , that I stepped on and it was very , it was just , it was rude , period . '' When Leno asked West what his mother would have thought of his behavior , he fell silent for more than a dozen seconds and appeared near tears . Leno pressed him again . `` Would she be disappointed in this ? Would she give you a lecture ? '' West gave a rambling , emotional answer : `` Yeah , you know , obviously , you know , I deal with hurt and , you know , so many , you know , celebrities , they never take the time off , and I 've never taken the time off to really , you know , I just , music after music and tour after tour on tour , and I 'm just ashamed that my hurt caused someone else 's hurt . '' West said he was n't trying to justify his behavior , `` because I was just in the wrong . That 's clear . '' `` But I need to , after this , just to take some time off and analyze how I 'm going to , you know , make it through rest of this life , how I 'm going to improve , '' he said . `` Because , I am a celebrity and that 's something I have to deal with . '' He said he would like to personally apologize to Swift , a 19-year-old pop-country singer . `` And if there 's anything I can do to help Taylor in the future or help anyone , I want to live this thing . It 's hard sometimes , so . '' After his four-minute talk with Leno , West joined fellow hip-hop superstars Jay-Z and Rihanna to perform `` Run This Town , '' a song they recorded together . The timing of West 's antics came at a good time for Leno , who embarked on a new era of his career Monday . After 17 years of hosting `` The Tonight Show , '' Leno debuted his 10 p.m. weeknight talk show on NBC . Apologies from celebrities behaving badly have boosted Leno 's ratings . In 1995 , Leno enjoyed a ratings-grabbing moment when he asked actor Hugh Grant , `` What the hell were you thinking ? '' Grant had been arrested two weeks earlier for public lewd conduct with a Hollywood hooker . When Grant told Leno `` I did a bad thing , '' it gave Leno 's `` Tonight Show '' a viewership bump that has been credited with solidifying his lead over rival David Letterman in the late-night ratings war . This is just the kind of `` immediacy '' Leno was talking about in a call with reporters last week . `` The idea here is that we 'll tape a new , fresh show every single day , talking about the events that happened that day that night , '' Leno said . Jerry Seinfeld also appeared on Leno 's premiere Monday .", "question": "What was the purpose of Kanye West reaching out to Taylor Swift ?", "answer": "apologize for hijacking her speech at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Randy Pausch , the professor whose `` last lecture '' became a runaway phenomenon on the Internet and was turned into a best-selling book , died Friday of pancreatic cancer , Carnegie Mellon University announced on its Web site . Randy Pausch emphasized the joy of life in his `` last lecture , '' originally given in September 2007 . Pausch , 47 , a computer science professor , delivered the lecture , `` Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams , '' at Carnegie Mellon in September 2007 , a month after being told he had three to six months to live because his cancer had returned . The lanky , energetic Pausch talked about goals he had accomplished , like experiencing zero gravity and creating Disney attractions , and those he had not , including becoming a professional football player . He used rejections he was handed when he applied for jobs at Disney to comment on the importance of persistence . `` The brick walls are there for a reason ... to show us how badly we want something , '' he said . `` Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who do n't want it badly enough . They 're there to stop the other people . '' Watch what Pausch did for his wife '' Starting with a joke about `` a deathbed conversion '' -- `` I just bought a Macintosh '' computer -- the educator went on to say that one of his childhood dreams was to write an entry in the World Book Encyclopedia . `` I guess you can tell the nerds early , '' he added . An expert in virtual reality , Pausch did go on to write an encyclopedia entry on the subject . He discussed his fondness for winning stuffed animals at fairs , showed a slide of them , then -- pretending to be concerned his audience would think the image had been digitally manipulated -- produced them onstage . Donning silly costume items like a vest with arrows sticking out of it and a Mad Hatter 's hat , he described working with students as a way to help other people achieve their dreams . He also played down his own importance , saying that after he got a Ph.D. , his mother took to introducing him as `` a doctor , but not the kind who helps people . '' The lecture has been viewed more than 3.2 million times since it was posted on YouTube in December . Pausch co-founded the university 's Entertainment Technology Center and was known for developing interdisciplinary courses and research projects that attracted new students to the field of computer science . He also spent his career encouraging computer scientists to collaborate with artists , dramatists and designers , Carnegie Mellon said . The university 's president , Jared Cohon , described Pausch as `` a brilliant researcher and gifted teacher . '' `` His love of teaching , his sense of fun and his brilliance came together in the Alice project , which teaches students computer programming while enabling them to do something fun -- making animated movies and games , '' Cohon added . `` Carnegie Mellon -- and the world -- are better places for having had Randy Pausch in them . '' Pausch describes Cohon urging him to talk about having fun in his lecture , and telling him it 's difficult because it 's like asking a fish to talk about water . `` I do n't know how not to have fun , '' he said . `` I 'm dying and I 'm having fun . And I 'm going to keep having fun every day I have left . '' Pausch is survived by his wife , Jai , and three children .", "question": "Where was Randy Pausch a computer science professor ?", "answer": "Carnegie Mellon University"}, {"story_text": "JERUSALEM -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Israeli military 's firing of white phosphorus shells over densely populated areas during the Gaza offensive `` was indiscriminate and is evidence of war crimes , '' Human Rights Watch -LRB- HRW -RRB- said in a report on Wednesday . Human Rights Watch says Israel used white phosphorus shells over populated areas in Gaza . `` In Gaza , the Israeli military did n't just use white phosphorus in open areas as a screen for its troops , '' said Fred Abrahams , a HRW senior emergencies researcher . `` It fired white phosphorus repeatedly over densely populated areas , even when its troops were n't in the area and safer smoke shells were available . As a result , civilians needlessly suffered and died . '' Entitled `` Rain of Fire : Israel 's Unlawful Use of White Phosphorus in Gaza , '' the 71-page report provides `` witness accounts '' and `` presents ballistics evidence , photographs , and satellite imagery , as well as documents from the Israeli military and government . '' HRW is an independent international organization dedicated to defending and protecting human rights . The group urged Israel and the United States to investigate the attacks . Israel should prosecute those who carried them out and the U.S. government , which supplied Israel , should look into the issue . HRW said white phosphorous was a chemical substance dispersed in artillery shells , bombs and rockets , used primarily to obscure military operations . '' -LRB- While -RRB- it is not considered a chemical weapon and is not banned per se , it ignites and burns on contact with oxygen and creates a smokescreen at night or during the day to mask the visual movement of troops . `` It also interferes with infra-red optics and weapon-tracking systems , thus protecting military forces from guided weapons such as anti-tank missiles . When WP comes into contact with people or objects , though , it creates an intense and persistent burn . It can also be used as a weapon against military targets , '' the group said . In response , the Israeli military said `` smoke shells are not an incendiary weapon '' and defended its actions . The Israel Defense Forces said it was close to completing its probe into `` the use of ammunition containing elements of phosphorous . '' '' -LRB- The invesitgation -RRB- is dealing with the use of ammunition containing elements of phosphorous , including , among others , the 155mm smoke shells which were referred to in the HRW report . This type of ammunition disperses in the atmosphere and creates an effective smoke screen . It is used by many Western armies . `` It is already possible to conclude that the IDF 's use of smoke shells was in accordance with international law . These shells were used for specific operational needs only and in accord with international humanitarian law . The claim that smoke shells were used indiscriminately , or to threaten the civilian population , is baseless , '' the IDF said . It said `` that weapons intended for screening are not classed as incendiary weapons . '' But Abrahams said past IDF investigations into allegations of wrongdoing suggest their inquiry would be neither thorough nor impartial . `` That 's why an international investigation is required into serious laws of war violations by all parties . `` For the needless civilian deaths caused by white phosphorus , senior commanders should be held to account , '' Abrahams said . The report said white phosphorus munitions were n't illegal when deployed properly in open areas , but it determined that the IDF repeatedly used them `` unlawfully over populated neighborhoods , killing and wounding civilians and damaging civilian structures , including a school , a market , a humanitarian aid warehouse and a hospital . '' `` First , the repeated use of air-burst white phosphorus in populated areas until the last days of the operation reveals a pattern or policy of conduct rather than incidental or accidental usage . Second , the IDF was well aware of the effects of white phosphorus and the dangers it poses to civilians . Third , the IDF failed to use safer available alternatives for smokescreens , '' the report said . A medical report prepared during the recent hostilities by the Israeli Health Ministry said that white phosphorus `` can cause serious injury and death when it comes into contact with the skin , is inhaled or is swallowed . '' The report said that the IDF could have used a non-lethal smoke shells produced by an Israeli company if it wanted to provide a `` smokescreen '' for its troops . Israel launched the offensive in late December to take on militants from Hamas , who had been shelling southern Israeli communities for months from Gaza . The offensive , called Operation Cast Lead , was launched December 27 and ended January 17 with a cease-fire . Of the 1,453 people estimated killed in the conflict , 1,440 were Palestinian , including 431 children and 114 women , a U.N. report recently said . The 13 Israelis killed included three civilians and six soldiers killed by Hamas , and four soldiers killed by friendly fire , it said . HRW also said it found no evidence that the Hamas militants Israel was targeting in Gaza were using human shields `` in the vicinity at the time of the attacks . '' Israel has said Hamas militants used civilians as human shields and fought from civilian locations , HRW points out . `` In some areas Palestinian fighters appear to have been present , but this does not justify the indiscriminate use of white phosphorus in a populated area . ''", "question": "What injuries can phosphorus shells cause ?", "answer": "serious injury and death when it comes into contact with the skin , is inhaled or is swallowed"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Tens of thousands of people packed a soccer stadium in Cameroon Thursday , including President Paul Biya and his wife , for the first large-scale mass of Pope Benedict XVI 's first visit to Africa . Tens of thousands of people gathered at a football stadium in Cameroon to see the pope . Africa is the last continent that Benedict had left to visit , and one he could not avoid , said David Gibson , a biographer of the pope . `` He knows he has to do this . He knows Africa is the future of the -LRB- Roman Catholic -RRB- Church , as it is for all of Christianity , '' said Gibson . Christianity , like Islam , is on the rise in Africa and Latin America , even as the northern hemisphere tends to become more secular . '' One in five of the world 's Christians lives in Africa -- up from less than one in fifty in 1900 , said Brian Grim , an editor of the World Religion Database . So Benedict is making the visit although travel `` is not his cup of tea , '' Gibson said . `` John Paul II loved the travel and loved the different cultures . Benedict is a European through and through . '' Watch the pope at the soccer stadium '' But Benedict understands that travel has become an essential part of a pope 's duties , said Gibson , the author of `` The Rule of Benedict : Pope Benedict XVI and His Battle with the Modern World . '' Benedict drew cheers at the mass at the 40,000-seat Amadou Ahidjo Stadium when he told worshippers that God had not forgotten orphans , poor and abused children , and those `` forced to join paramilitary forces , '' Cameroon TV reported . He did not mention condoms , a subject which sparked controversy when he reiterated the Vatican 's opposition to artificial birth control Monday while flying to Cameroon . Sub-Saharan Africa has been hit harder by AIDS and HIV than any other region of the world , according to the United Nations and World Health Organization . There has been fierce debate between those who advocate the use of condoms to help stop the spread of the epidemic and those who oppose it . The pope 's mention of birth control may have been an effort to draw attention to the trip , which `` is not getting much of a bounce in the Western media , '' Gibson speculated . `` They are savvy enough to know that if the pope mentions condoms , it is going to be a headline , '' he said of the pontiff 's advisers . The issue did not come up by chance , he pointed out . `` These were pre-selected questions for which they had prepared answers , '' he said . The pope also Thursday met local Muslim leaders in Cameroon , a west African country which is just over one-quarter Roman Catholic and just under one-quarter Muslim . Both religions are expanding rapidly in Africa , said Grim , a senior research fellow in religion and world affairs at the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life . Less than one in ten people in sub-Saharan Africa was Christian in 1900 . Today nearly six in ten are , he said . The region was about 14 percent Muslim at the beginning of the 20th century , he said , and about 30 percent Muslim now . Benedict outraged Muslim leaders around the world in 2006 by quoting the 15th-century Byzantine emperor Manuel II Paleologus when he said , `` Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new , and there you will find things only evil and inhuman , such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached . '' He repeatedly apologized for the citation , which he said did not reflect his own views . `` It was a painful lesson but clearly the pope learned something from that , '' Gibson said . The pope 's meeting Muslim leaders in person can help relations between the Church and Islam , the analyst added . Face-to-face encounters make `` the pope a human figure . That 's what these trips are really about -- to see that the pope is not the boogeyman , he is someone who is kind and wise and wants to discuss issues . `` It 's so easy to see caricatures , so for the pope simply to show up can be an enormously positive development , '' Gibson said . Gibson said this week 's visit may be Benedict 's only trip to Africa . `` Knowing that the pope is older , he can not travel as much -- he does not like to travel -- makes these trips more poignant . He may never come back to Africa again . ''", "question": "Where did the Pope give his speech in Cameroon ?", "answer": "Amadou Ahidjo Stadium"}, {"story_text": "LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A 47-year-old charity worker who says she has never been kissed is now a YouTube sensation after a singing performance that wowed the notoriously harsh talent judge Simon Cowell . The YouTube video of Susan Boyle 's performance has had more than 5 million hits . Susan Boyle , from West Lothian in Scotland , appeared on the television show `` Britain 's Got Talent '' last weekend with an inauspicious start . Slightly plump and with short brown curly hair , Boyle stood somewhat uncomfortably in the middle of the stage wearing a gold lace sheath . She told the judges and the audience of the show that she was single , she lived with her cat , Pebbles , and she had never been kissed . `` I 'm trying to be a professional singer , '' Boyle asserted , as the audience laughed . `` I 'm going to make that audience rock . '' When she added that she wanted to be as famous as Elaine Paige , who 's been called the `` first lady of British musical theater , '' some members of the audience snickered and rolled their eyes . But after Boyle sang the first few notes of `` I Dreamed a Dream '' from the musical `` Les Miserables , '' the audience erupted in wild cheers and applause , and two of the three judges ' jaws dropped . The applause lasted the length of her performance , which ended with the crowd on its feet . Cowell , who also serves as a judge on `` American Idol '' and who 's known for his stinging criticism of those he deems to have no talent , said Boyle 's performance was fantastic . `` I knew the minute you walked out on that stage that we were going to hear something extraordinary , '' he proclaimed . His fellow judge , Piers Morgan , said it was `` the biggest surprise I have had in three years on this show . '' `` When you stood there , with that cheeky grin , and said , ' I want to be like Elaine Paige ' everyone was laughing at you . No one is laughing now . That was stunning . An incredible performance , '' Morgan said , adding he was reeling from shock . Amanda Holden , the third judge , had tears in her eyes and described Boyle 's singing as `` a privilege to hear . '' A clip of her performance on YouTube.com has had more than 5 million hits , and many fans say they were moved to tears by the story . Boyle said after the show that she felt `` bloody fantastic . '' Each of the three judges voted `` yes '' to Boyle 's return to the actual competition round of the show . The performance this weekend came during the auditions .", "question": "From where is Susan Boyle ?", "answer": "West Lothian in Scotland"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Air Force is returning F-15E Strike Eagle jets to service over Iraq and Afghanistan after grounding other F-15s , the Air Force said Wednesday . The Air Force grounded models of its F-15 fleet after the crash of an older model F-15C this month . The F-15s were grounded after a crash earlier this month in Missouri of an older model that disintegrated in flight . Each F-15E must pass an inspection of critical parts on the airframe before returning to flying missions , Air Force officials said . All U.S. Air Force 224 E-model aircraft will undergo a one-time inspection of hydraulic system lines , the Air Force statement said . The longerons -- molded , metal strips of the aircraft fuselage that run from front to rear -- will also be inspected , according to the Air Force . The straps and skin panels in and around the environmental control system bay will also be examined , officials said . The Air Force would not say whether the parts being inspected were part of the problem on the aircraft that crashed . The investigation into why that plane fell apart in flight is still ongoing and Air Force officials will not say what happened until the investigation is complete , an Air Force spokesperson said . Air Force officials said the rest of the almost 500 F-15s -- older airframes than the F-15Es -- will remain grounded until the investigation offers a solution to what happened . The E-model aircraft , the youngest and most sophisticated in the F-15 inventory , is heavily used by Central Command for ground support in the U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan . It is also used for the homeland security mission over the United States known as Operation Noble Eagle . On November 3 , the Air Force grounded all of its F-15s in response to a November 1 crash of a Missouri Air National Guard F-15C in Boss , Missouri . The grounding forced Central Command to use other Air Force , Navy and French fighters to fill the gaps , though Strike Eagles did fly to support troops in battle in Afghanistan as an emergency measure while they were still under grounding orders , according to Central Command reports . The plane that crashed , built in 1980 , was one of the older F-15s in the fleet . The F-15E Strike Eagle is an air-to-ground and air-to-air fighter , making it more versatile than other F-15 models , which are used for only air-to-air missions . The Strike Eagle is used in Afghanistan and Iraq in its air-to-ground role , using its advanced sensors to drop bombs on targets . E-mail to a friend", "question": "Where are F-15s used for ground support ?", "answer": "U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan"}, {"story_text": "Islamabad , Pakistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Thirty-six people were killed and dozens were injured in explosions at a market in Lahore , Pakistan , on Monday , an official said . Rizwan Naseer , chief of Lahore 's rescue service , also said 109 people were wounded . The explosions did not appear to be a suicide attack but could instead have been bombs detonated by remote control , Punjab Police Chief Tariq Salim said . The nation 's state-run news agency , Associated Press of Pakistan , said the blasts were the result of `` bomb explosions . '' The explosions occurred at Moon Market in the Iqbal Town neighborhood , the news agency said . It cited Iqbal Town Division 's Ali Nasir Rizvi as saying most of the victims were women . Khusro Pervaiz , a senior government official in Lahore , said in a television interview that 60 people had been taken to five Lahore hospitals . The blasts happened around 8:45 p.m. at the popular market , said Rai Nazar Hayat , a spokesman for Lahore police . Earlier , ten people were killed -- including two police officers -- when a suicide bomber detonated outside a district courthouse in Peshawar on Monday , officials said . At least 36 were injured , six of them seriously , said Dr. Hameed Afridi , CEO of the Lady Reading Hospital . The bomber got out of a rickshaw and detonated himself , according to witnesses . The attacker was wearing a suicide jacket with about 6 kilograms of explosives , said Shafqat Malik , head of the North West Frontier Province bomb disposal unit . Peshawar is the capital of the Northwest Frontier Province , where the Pakistani government waged a recent military offense against Taliban militants . Meanwhile , five people were hurt in a bomb attack in Quetta on Monday morning , said Jamil Kakar , a Quetta police official . The explosives were placed in a car and destroyed two other cars and three motorbikes . The courthouse attack comes three days after four militants armed with guns and grenades stormed a mosque in Rawalpindi frequented by military personnel . At least 36 were killed and 75 wounded . Among the dead were 17 children , according to military officials . Also killed were an army general and eight other military officials , six of senior rank . The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the mosque bombing . The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan reiterated its claim in an e-mail to CNN the next day , after media outlets quoted officials who doubted the group 's participation . `` We reconfirmed it , that the TTP has done it and will do more which are already planned , '' the group said in the e-mail . `` We once again mention that we are not against the innocent people and the state of Pakistan but against those officers and ministers who are American by hearts and minds and Pakistani just by faces . '' Rawalpindi is the headquarters of the Pakistani army . CNN 's Reza Sayah contributed to this report .", "question": "did the count of dead exceed 20", "answer": "Thirty-six people were killed"}, {"story_text": "LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The nude body of a former swimsuit model found last weekend in Orange County was identified through her breast implants ' serial number , two law enforcement sources said Friday . An arrest warrant has been issued for Ryan Alexander Jenkins , wanted in the death of Jasmine Fiore . An arrest warrant alleging murder was issued Thursday for Ryan Alexander Jenkins , a reality TV contestant whom Jasmine Fiore , 28 , married in March . CNN has not confirmed reports that the marriage was annulled . Fiore 's body was found Saturday in a Dumpster behind an apartment complex in Buena Park , just outside Anaheim , California . Her teeth had been extracted and fingers removed in what police said was an apparent attempt to conceal her identity . Fiore lived in Los Angeles and was last seen alive Friday in San Diego at a poker game with Jenkins , a reality TV contestant . `` We believe he has crossed into Canada , '' U.S. Marshals Chief Inspector Thomas Hession told reporters . Prosecutors requested bail be set at $ 10 million . Reality contestant charged '' Jenkins is believed to be armed , Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas said Thursday . `` There 's a handgun missing from his apartment , which is the last place he was before he fled , '' he said . Jenkins matched the description of a man seen driving a boat Wednesday in Blaine Marina off northwest Washington , the Whatcom County Sheriff 's Office said . Blaine , Washington , borders Canada . Authorities searched the area and found Jenkins ' black SUV with an empty boat trailer at the Blaine Marina , police said . Jenkins reported Fiore missing Saturday night to the Los Angeles County Sheriff 's Department , authorities said . The body was identified Monday as Fiore . While the cause of death had not been confirmed , a preliminary coroner 's report indicated she was strangled . According to court records in Las Vegas , Nevada , Jenkins was charged in June with battery for allegedly striking Fiore in the arm with his fist . In 2007 , Jenkins pleaded guilty in Calgary , Alberta , to assault in a separate case . He was sentenced to 15 months probation , ordered to undergo counseling for domestic violence and sex addiction and to stay away from the person involved , according to court records . Jenkins , who appeared on the VH1 show `` Megan Wants a Millionaire , '' is from Calgary . 51Minds , which produced `` Megan Wants a Millionaire , '' said Thursday in a written statement that it `` was not aware of Ryan Jenkins ' record when it cast him . '' `` The company did have in place what it thought was a thorough vetting process that involved complete background checks by an outside company for all contestants on its shows , '' it said . `` Clearly , the process did not work properly in this case . 51 Minds is investigating what went wrong and taking steps to ensure that this sort of lapse never occurs again . '' CNN 's Paul Vercammen contributed to this story .", "question": "What was extracted and removed to make it harder to identify her body ?", "answer": "teeth had been extracted and fingers"}, {"story_text": "Tottenham Hotspur humiliated Wigan 9-1 with England striker Jermain Defoe scoring five to move into the Champions League spots in the English Premier League . The incredible rout sees them draw level on points with North London rivals Arsenal and into fourth place ahead of Aston Villa , who they visit next weekend . Defoe 's five equaled a Premier League record and , along with Manchester United 's 9-0 thrashing of Ipswich Town in the 1994/95 season , it is the most goals scored by a Premier League side in a single game . The highest tally recorded by a team in English football league history is 13 . Fellow England striker Peter Crouch scored the only goal in the first half before the floodgates opened , Defoe grabbing his first two before Wigan 's Paul Scharner replied with what looked a handball . Defoe completed his hat-trick only a minute later on the 58th before Aaron Lennon made it 5-1 , with Defoe then adding his fourth . A final blitz from Tottenham gave Defoe his fifth , with David Bentley 's deflected effort off Chris Kirkland and Niko Kranjcar completing the rout with double figures looking on the cards when the referee ended the misery for the visitors . Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp said Defoe , who was returning after a suspension , was a `` fantastic talent '' and paid tribute to his side 's eight-goal salvo after the break . `` We came out in the second half fantastic , pressed them worked them and took the opportunities , '' he told Sky Sports News . In other English Premier League action on Sunday , Blackburn Rovers beat Bolton Wanderers 2-0 away to climb up to 11th in the table . Without manager Sam Allardyce who is to undergo a heart operation , Blackburn went in front through a David Dunn curled effort before a mix-up with his goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen saw Bolton 's Sam Ricketts head into his own net . In the late kickoff , Portmouth stayed bottom after losing 1-0 at Stoke , who grabbed a 74th minute winner through Ricardo Fuller after great work by winger Matthew Etherington . Pompey , who lost England goalkeeper David James to injury in the warm up , missed an eighth-minute penalty through Kevin-Prince Boateng and had chances to secure at least a point at the Britannia Stadium .", "question": "did blackburn win", "answer": "Rovers beat Bolton Wanderers 2-0 away"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Over 28,000 Liverpool fans marked the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster in a special memorial service at Anfield on Wednesday . Liverpool supporters at the Kop end paid their respects in an emotional afternoon at Anfield . A total of 96 supporters died on April 15 , 1989 before the FA Cup semifinal between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Sheffield Wednesday 's stadium , the worst-ever tragedy in English sporting history . To commemorate the anniversary , the city of Liverpool came to a standstill at 3.06 pm -LRB- 1406 GMT -RRB- with the bells of the two cathedrals and its civic buildings ringing out in memory of those fans who lost their lives . On Anfield 's famous Kop , 96 candles were lit while commemorations took place at Hillsborough and also in Nottingham . Members of the current Liverpool team stood somberly as hymns were played before a roll call of the dead was read out . Club legend Kenny Dalglish , who was Liverpool manager at the time of the disaster , then read a short prayer . The mayor of Liverpool , Steve Rotherham , who was at the game 20 years ago , helped organize the emotional memorial . `` Hillsborough affected so many lives , not just on Merseyside but across the whole of the UK , '' he said . `` I attended the match 20 years ago and the passing years do not diminish the importance and the poignancy of this occasion . '' Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard , whose 10-year-old cousin Jon-Paul Gilhooley was the youngest victim of the tragedy , spoke of his feelings this week . `` Time has gone by , but the scars will never ever be healed and the fans will never ever forget . So you can always rely on our supporters to be there for you when you need them . '' The Liverpool fans died in a crush which started just before the kick-off as the gate at the Leppings Lane End was opened with terrible consequences . The match started but when the scale of the tragedy became clear , it was swiftly abandoned at 3.06 pm . In the immediate aftermath , the British government commissioned Lord Justice Taylor to conduct an inquiry which would have a far-reaching impact on football . Taylor was deeply critical of the police operation at Hillsborough , but his most significant recommendations were the removal of perimeter fencing and the creation of all-seater stadia . His report also cleared Liverpool fans of blame for the tragedy after lurid tabloid headlines provoked revulsion on Merseyside . Prime minister Gordon Brown paid reference to the controversy in an interview released on Liverpool 's official television channel . `` It was wrong for people to blame , as some did , Liverpool fans on that day , '' he said . `` That 's probably what matters most -- that people understood that the behavior of Liverpool fans in helping each other was magnificent . `` Let 's never forget the fans who cruelly lost their lives on a day when we know the people of Liverpool were trying to help each other , '' he added . However , the people of Liverpool are still angry and bitter at the lack of justice for those who died -- and that frustration surfaced when Andy Burnham , the Secretary of State for Culture , Media and Sport took to the stand to address the crowd . As Burnham spoke , the crowd rose as one to sing `` Justice for the 96 '' . The Kop chant boomed around the stadium and Burnham , an Everton fan , was left in no doubt about the strength of feeling over the lack of accountability from officialdom over the tragedy . Fittingly , the ceremony was concluded with Gerry Marsden leading the fans in singing Liverpool anthem ` You 'll Never Walk Alone ' .", "question": "Where did the supporters die ?", "answer": "at Sheffield Wednesday 's stadium"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A coalition of top musicians , including R.E.M. and Pearl Jam , want to know if their music was used by the U.S. military as part of controversial interrogation methods at the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay , Cuba . Ruhal Ahmed , left , shown at a 2007 news conference , says he had to listen to hours of music at Guantanamo . The artists have endorsed a series of Freedom of Information Act requests , which were filed Thursday morning , asking the U.S. government to declassify documents that would reveal which artists ' work was used on detainees at U.S. prison facilities and military detention centers , including the one at Guantanamo Bay . The National Security Archive , a Washington-based independent research institute that advocates `` for the right to know , '' filed the requests on behalf of the Close Gitmo Now campaign , which launched this week , the archive 's senior analyst Kate Doyle said . The multimillion-dollar national grassroots Close Gitmo Now campaign is aimed at pressuring members of Congress to support President Obama 's endeavor to close the Guantanamo Bay prison . It is supported by a coalition of retired generals and liberal activists . The requests are based on the testimony of former Guantanamo prisoners and guards , as well as declassified documents , that identified music from 35 artists -- ranging from AC/DC tunes to the theme from Sesame Street -- used in the interrogations of detainees , Doyle said . See a list of bands and songs involved -LRB- PDF -RRB- `` We do know that songs and bands ' work has been used to abuse detainees , we know that , '' she said . She added that any information that the National Security Archive obtains `` will add to the profile of this case . '' The requests are being filed with `` a dozen different agencies and components of the Department of Defense , '' Doyle said . They ask for any documents `` concerning the use of loud music during detention and/or as a technique to interrogate detainees at U.S.-operated prison facilities used in its War on Terror at Guantanamo , Iraq and Afghanistan during 2002-the present , '' according to a copy of the FOIA request obtained by CNN . It is unclear if any of the artists plan to pursue legal action , but Doyle said she 'd be `` surprised if some of them were n't thinking about it . '' Many of the artists supporting the campaign are no strangers to political activism , but this cause has hit close to home for some of them . `` We have spent the past 30 years supporting causes related to peace and justice . To now learn that some of our friends ' music may have been used as part of the torture tactics without their consent or knowledge is horrific , '' the American rock band R.E.M. said in a statement posted on CloseGitmoNow.org . `` It 's anti-American , period . '' Several former Guantanamo detainees have filed lawsuits against the U.S. government , saying they were tortured with numerous techniques , including loud music . `` It 's very scary to think that you might go crazy because of the music , because of the loud noise , '' said Ruhal Ahmed , one of the former detainees who has filed a lawsuit . He said he had to listen to hours of headbanging music while held prisoner at Guantanamo in 2003 . The Pentagon has not responded directly to the allegations of torture involving music , but it has said that its policy has always been to treat detainees humanely . Loud music has not been used at Guantanamo since the fall of 2003 , following a Department of Defense review of detention operations and interrogation techniques , according to Maj. Diana Haynie , a Joint Task Force Guantanamo spokeswoman . U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has asked a federal prosecutor to examine whether the interrogations violated the law , and the White House said Obama will leave any decision on charges to the Justice Department . And the Obama administration announced it would put the FBI in charge of a special unit set up to question suspected terrorists under White House oversight . CNN 's Tricia Escobedo contributed to this report", "question": "What act requests seek to reveal what music used at facility ?", "answer": "a series of Freedom of Information"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Farrah Fawcett , whose public battle with anal cancer has brought new attention to a rarely discussed disease , has not been given a timetable from her doctor about how much time she has left , according to her friend Alana Stewart . Farrah Fawcett , seen here in 2006 , has waged a very public battle with anal cancer . `` No one has said to her you have two months to live , '' Stewart said Monday . `` So I 'm looking at that as a really good sign . '' Stewart talked with Lara Spencer , host of `` The Insider , '' who discussed her interview with Fawcett 's close friend on CNN 's `` Larry King Live '' Monday night . Spencer said Fawcett , her family and friends are clinging to hope for a recovery . `` She -LSB- Alana Stewart -RSB- does n't want to throw out a number . And neither does Farrah . ... They 're still hoping for that miracle , '' Spencer said . `` Farrah 's Story , '' a documentary-style program that has followed the course of her illness and showed her grueling treatment in graphic detail , aired on NBC Friday and was viewed by almost 9 million people . Fawcett and partner Ryan O'Neal watched the show together , Spencer confirmed . `` Alana said it was the ultimate in bittersweet , '' Spencer said . `` You know , they 're reliving two years of hell that they 've endured together . '' King asked Spencer whether Fawcett , who made her name a household word on the hit '70s TV series `` Charlie 's Angels , '' and O'Neal might marry . `` He said you never know . He was cagey about it , '' Spencer said . `` And , you know , I think he would in a second . He 's so madly in love with her . '' King also had a panel of medical experts on his show to discuss Fawcett 's cancer . Dr. Thomas Vogl , who at one time treated the actress in Germany , called her medical condition `` very , very serious . '' Dr. Allyson Ocean , a medical oncologist in New York , said only about 5,000 cases of anal cancer are diagnosed in the United States yearly . Unlike Fawcett 's case , it usually does n't spread , and only about 10 to 15 percent of cases are advanced , Ocean said . Fawcett 's cancer , however , is in Stage 4 and has spread to her liver . Ocean said there are various causes of anal cancer . `` One of the causes is a virus called the human papilloma virus , which is a sexually transmitted virus . It seems to be more common in women , in general , outside of any viral infections . Smoking is actually a risk factor , '' she said . King asked Dr. Paul Song , a radiation oncologist , if he had seen Stage 4 cancer cured . `` Not with anal cancer . I have seen it with other GI malignancies such as rectal cancer , '' Song said . `` But anal cancer is a little bit more difficult to treat . '' Despite the bleak outlook , Song had praise for Fawcett and her documentary . `` I think one of the most powerful things that Miss Fawcett did in this documentary was give patients a sense of hope and to just show how she 's handled this with such courage and dignity , '' Song said . CNN 's Dr. Sanjay Gupta told King that doctors have to strike a delicate balance when they are caring for patients such as Fawcett . `` You have to be absolutely honest with patients , but , you know , you do n't want to strip away their hope and optimism , either . There are people , Larry , as you know , who beat the odds , '' Gupta said . Vogl told King he developed a close relationship with Fawcett during the time he treated her in Germany and expressed admiration for his one-time patient . `` From a lot of treatments and contact and communication , I think she is extremely special , an extremely brave person , '' he said .", "question": "Farrah has what illness ?", "answer": "anal cancer"}, {"story_text": "LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Jewish groups on Wednesday rejected as inadequate an apology by Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone for remarks in which he praised German Nazi leader Adolf Hitler . Bernie Ecclestone : `` Many people in my closest circle of friends are Jewish . '' During an interview with The Times newspaper last week the billionaire spoke of the Nazi dictator 's ability to `` get things done . '' But after a storm of criticism , Ecclestone issued a statement on Tuesday in which he said : `` I unreservedly apologize for the remarks I made regarding Hitler in a recent interview . I am extremely distressed and embarrassed that these remarks have been used as suggesting that I support Hitler or Saddam Hussein . I would never support such people . `` I should never have been so foolish as to have been drawn into discussing these people but the fault was entirely mine , which I deeply regret . '' On Wednesday Jon Benjamin , Chief Executive of the Board of Deputies of British Jews , rejected the apology . `` Mr. Ecclestone 's comments were crass , ignorant and insensitive , '' he said in a statement issued to CNN . `` There is no excuse for praising one of history 's most evil men for being good at being bad . '' Tell us what you think of Ecclestone 's comments In his statement on Tuesday , the 78-year-old appeared to reignite the controversy by remarking : `` During the 1930s Germany was facing an economic crisis , but Hitler was able to rebuild the economy , building the autobahns and German industry . `` That was all I meant when I referred to him getting things done . `` I 'm an admirer of good leadership , of politicians who stand by their convictions and tell the voters the truth . I 'm not an admirer of dictators who rule by terror . '' He told The Jewish Chronicle on Tuesday he regretted offending people who took his remarks `` the wrong way . '' Ecclestone had earlier been described by the newspaper 's editor , Stephen Pollard , as `` either an idiot or morally repulsive . '' Germany 's Central Council of Jews had urged motor racing teams to boycott Formula One over Ecclestone 's comments but cautiously welcomed the apology . However one of the group 's leaders pointed out that the F1 chief 's remarks about the man who presided over the deaths of six million Jews had caused great pain . `` If Ecclestone says he was an idiot , I will certainly not contradict him , '' Dieter Graumann , vice president of the council , told Handesblatt newspaper . `` Apologizing is better than not apologizing . But the glorification of a mass murderer is not a trivial offense . '' German media also reported that Guenther Oettinger , premier of the southern state of Baden-Wuerttemberg , had canceled a meeting with the Briton at this weekend 's German Grand Prix at Nurburgring because of his comments about Hitler . The F1 chief had told the German newspaper Bild : `` Many people in my closest circle of friends are Jewish . Anyone who knows me knows that I would never attack a minority . ''", "question": "who is bernie ecclestone ?", "answer": "Formula One chief"}, {"story_text": "LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Smoking in youth-rated movies has not declined despite a pledge two years ago by Hollywood studios to encourage producers to show less `` gratuitous smoking , '' according to an anti-smoking group . The American Medical Association Alliance has been trying to get movie studios to make smoking-free films . The American Medical Association Alliance , pointing to research that big-screen smoking leads teens to pick up the tobacco habit , called for an R rating for any movie with smoking scenes . The head of the group that gives U.S. movies their ratings , however , said the smoke has been clearing from youth-rated movies , a result of the film industry 's sensitivity to the issue . The alliance , the medical association 's advocacy arm , launched a summer campaign this week aimed at publicly shaming studios into making smoke-free films . `` Research has shown that one-third to one-half of all young smokers in the United States can be attributed to smoking these youth see in movies , '' said Dr. Jonathan Fielding , head of the Los Angeles County Public Health Department . Fielding cited another study that he said `` found that adolescents whose favorite movie stars smoked on screen are significantly more likely to be smokers themselves and to have a more accepting attitude toward smoking . '' The Motion Picture Association of America , the industry group that issues ratings and parental guidance for U.S. films , added smoking scenes as a factor in ratings two years ago , but Fielding said it has not made a difference . `` In all , 56 percent of the top box office movies with smoking released between May 2007 and May 2009 were youth-rated films -- G , PG or PG-13 , '' he said . Joan Graves , who chairs the Motion Picture Association 's movie rating committee , offered her own statistics , based on all of the 900 films rated each year , not just the top movies included in Fielding 's numbers . The association has given no G ratings in the past two years to a movie with smoking , Graves said . Overall , 55 percent of the movies rated in the past two years showed some smoking , but 75 percent of those with smoking scenes were given R ratings , Graves said . Twenty-one percent were rated PG-13 and the remaining 5 percent were PG , she said . A G movie is deemed suitable for all audiences , while a PG rating is a signal to parents that a film may include some material they might consider inappropriate for children . PG-13 indicates a stronger warning that some material may be inappropriate for children under 13 . No one under 17 can be admitted to see an R movie without a parent or guardian . American Medical Association Alliance President Sandi Frost used as her chief example of a movie with `` gratuitous smoking '' this month 's blockbuster `` X-Men Origins : Wolverine , '' which was rated PG-13 `` for intense sequences of action and violence , and some partial nudity . '' `` Millions of children have been exposed to the main star of the film , Hugh Jackman , with a cigar in his mouth in various scenes , '' Frost said . `` I 'm willing to bet that not one child would have enjoyed that movie or Mr. Jackman 's performance any less if he had n't been smoking . '' A spokesman for Twentieth Century Fox , the studio responsible for the Wolverine movie series , said Jackman 's cigar was never lit and it was limited to just two scenes . In one scene , the cigar is shot out of his mouth , prompting Jackman 's Wolverine character to suggest its loss would lead to clean living -- an anti-smoking statement -- the studio spokesman said . He said that while the Wolverine character has a cigar in his mouth in almost every panel of the comic book series , producers made `` a conscious decision '' to limit the cigar in the movie . The American Medical Association Alliance , hoping to draw studio executives ' attention , hired a mobile billboard to drive around the major studios this week . `` The billboard shows a teenage girl asking the question , ` Which movie studios will cause me to smoke this summer ? ' '' Frost said . The alliance will keep an online scorecard throughout the summer to count `` how many tobacco impressions each studio delivers to G , PG and PG-13 audiences , '' she said . `` At the end of the summer , whichever studio has delivered the most tobacco impressions to youth audiences will be named in a billboard that will run outside of their headquarters , '' she said . Motion Picture Association of America spokeswoman Angela Martinez said the group `` is very sensitive to the concerns of parents about the purpose of the rating systems . '' `` It 's reflective of society , '' Martinez said . `` It 's really a tool for parents to help determine what their kids see . '' They began factoring smoking scenes into the ratings two years ago as `` a reflection of changes in society and health concerns , '' she said . `` Smoking is rated like all the other factors , including violence and sex , '' she said . Fielding said it should be absolute -- and not just a factor . `` Any movie with smoking should be rated R , '' he said . `` And if they worry about an R rating hurting their profits , then they should work with studios to remove smoking from films that hurt youth . '' Graves , whose committee makes the decisions , indicated such a zero-tolerance policy would not be accepted .", "question": "For what does AMAA stand ?", "answer": "American Medical Association Alliance"}, {"story_text": "LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Princess Diana 's relationships with two Muslim men provoked an outburst from her mother , who called her daughter `` a whore '' , Paul Burrell , the princess 's former butler , told an inquest Monday . Diana once referred to her former butler Paul Burrell as `` my rock . '' Burrell , who returned to Britain from his home in Florida to give evidence , was the first star witness of the London inquest , now in its fourth month . His role as confidant to Diana , who died in a Paris car crash on August 31 , 1997 , along with her boyfriend Dodi Fayed and hotel security chief Henri Paul , meant his testimony was eagerly anticipated . Burrell , whom the late princess once called `` my rock , '' cast doubt on whether Diana was ready to marry Fayed . According to Burrell , the princess was still `` holding a candle '' for former boyfriend and heart surgeon Hasnat Khan -- who she called `` her soulmate '' -- when she started dating Fayed `` on the rebound . '' Burrell told the inquest that Diana asked him to listen in on a conversation in June 1997 with her mother , Frances Shand Kydd , who died in 2004 and who was critical of her relationship with Muslim men . `` She called the princess a ` whore ' and she said that she was messing around with ` effing Muslim men ' and she was ` disgraceful ' and said some very nasty things , '' Burrell said . He agreed that , as a result of such calls Diana , decided not to talk to her mother again . The inquest , which began in October and is expected to last another two or three months , aims to uncover the facts surrounding the deaths of the Princess and Dodi and determine their cause of death -- whether by accident or otherwise . Asked earlier in the day if he believed that Fayed was `` the one , '' Burrell said `` no , I did not have that impression . '' He also cast doubt on claims that Fayed and Diana were engaged or on the cusp of engagement , saying : `` I find that difficult to believe . '' Asked to explain himself , Burrell said : `` Because this was only a 30-day relationship and the princess had just finished a long-term relationship with someone -LRB- Khan -RRB- she cared deeply about . I knew that because I was there and I saw it . '' Diana 's 18-month relationship with Khan ended around the same time she started seeing Fayed in July 1997 . Burrell said Diana had asked him at one point to investigate how a private wedding with Khan might take place , given that Khan is Muslim . Watch report on claims about Diana 's marriage plans . '' Khan had not proposed to the princess , Burrell said , adding that Khan was `` the man she loved more than any other . '' He said he spoke to Diana about the possibility that Fayed would give her a ring shortly before her death . Burrell said he suggested to the princess that she wear it on the fourth finger of her right hand , rather than the left , as is customary with engagement rings . `` I need marriage like a bad rash , '' Burrell claimed Diana told him . Last month at the inquest Lady Annabel Goldsmith , a friend of Diana , said the princess had remarked that she needed another marriage `` like a rash on my face . '' Burrell also indicated that the ring was not an engagement ring , as the Fayed family has maintained . Fayed family spokesman Michael Cole testified last week that Dodi 's father , Mohamed Al Fayed , was certain the couple had planned to marry . Lawyers at the inquest asked Burrell whether he knew whether a special announcement had been planned for the Monday following the fatal car crash . There has been speculation the couple planned to announce special news , such as an engagement . But Burrell said he knew nothing of such a plan . He said he had actually looked at Diana 's schedule for that day and found only mundane items , and nothing to indicate she planned a special announcement . Burrell also told the inquest he did not believe Prince Philip , Queen Elizabeth 's , husband was involved in Diana 's death . Mohamed Al Fayed , father of Dodi and the owner of Harrods department store , has long claimed that senior members of the royal family -- specifically the queen 's husband , Prince Philip -- ordered the pair be murdered . He also claims that Diana was pregnant at the time of her death . But Burrell said that he knew Prince Philip very well and that he could not have been behind the deaths . `` I can tell you that is not Prince Philip 's nature , '' he said . `` Plus the princess was the mother of his grandchildren . Why would he want to harm her ? It 's not possible . '' The inquest has seen and heard about correspondence which Prince Philip sent to Diana , with some witnesses claiming that he wrote cruel and hurtful letters . But other correspondence shown to the jury appeared to be friendly and was affectionately signed , `` Pa. '' Burrell explained that Philip could sometimes come across as terse because he says what he thinks . `` Prince Philip does n't mix his words , '' Burrell said . `` He says it as it is , but he is not a nasty man . Prince Philip is n't known for his diplomacy . He was fond of the princess . '' Burrell worked for the British royals for 21 years and became close to Diana after her separation from Prince Charles . He has written two books about his time with the princess . In his second book , Burrell told of a letter from Diana which indicated she feared for her life . The princess wrote that Prince Charles planned '' ` an accident ' in my car , brake failure and serious head injury . '' One of Diana 's close friends , however , testified last month that she believed the letter could have been forged . Lucia Flecha de Lima said on December 18 that Burrell was capable of imitating the princess 's handwriting . Lawyers questioned Burrell about the date of the letter . Burrell said it was written in October 1996 , two months , after Diana and Charles divorced -- yet the letter refers to Charles as `` my husband . '' Burrell responded that Diana always referred to Charles that way , even after the divorce . The inquest has revealed that Diana was a prolific letter-writer who also received a lot of correspondence . Witnesses , including Burrell , recall that the princess kept the letters in her desk , with the more important ones stored in a special box . Burrell testified that after Diana 's death , her mother , Frances Shand-Kidd , worked every day for a week shredding the papers from Diana 's desk . He said he expressed concern about the shredding during a meeting he had with the queen on December 19 , 1997 . It was at this meeting that Queen Elizabeth told Burrell : `` There are powers at work in this country about which we have no knowledge . '' That comment , which has been widely reported , was meant to warn him to be careful , Burrell said , and was not a warning about any one person or group of people . At the same meeting Burrell also told the queen that he had taken some of Diana 's belongings to keep safe . The details of the conversation emerged when Burrell stood trial for their alleged theft in 2002 , causing the case against him to collapse . E-mail to a friend CNN 's Emily Chang and Heidi Berger contributed to this report .", "question": "Also claims that Diana told him : `` I need marriage like a bad rash ''", "answer": "Burrell"}, {"story_text": "LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Michael Jackson will be buried Saturday , August 29 , on what would have been the singer 's 51st birthday , according to a statement from publicist Ken Sunshine . Katherine Jackson has proposed she or one of her children be added as an executor to Michael 's will . The private ceremony will take place at Holly Terrace in The Great Mausoleum at Glendale Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale , California , and `` will be limited to family and close friends , '' the statement said . Jackson died June 25 of cardiac arrest . The famed entertainer was 50 . Other Jackson plans have moved sluggishly . Monday , a judge delayed his approval of the exhibition agreement between concert promoter AEG Live and the Jackson estate until Friday , when he will hear testimony about why Michael Jackson 's mother , Katherine Jackson , thinks it should be renegotiated . The three-city exhibition of Jackson memorabilia could be derailed , as relations between Jackson 's mother , the men Jackson named as executors of his will and the promoter of his planned comeback concerts have been challenging . Questions surrounding Michael Jackson 's death and AEG Live 's role in his last days are an `` obvious source of tension '' as Katherine Jackson objects to the agreement , Jackson attorney Burt Levitch said . Michael Jackson 's family has `` floated '' the possibility of filing a wrongful-death lawsuit against AEG Live because of its `` very , very active role in Michael 's life during the last six months , '' Levitch said Monday . Levitch said AEG Live `` apparently paid for the services of Dr. Conrad Murray , who we 're told is under criminal investigation in connection with the decedent 's death . '' Warrants used to search Murray 's home and clinics indicated police were investigating his role in Jackson 's June 25 death . A source with knowledge of the investigation told CNN that Murray gave the anesthetic propofol to Jackson in the 24 hours before he died . `` There 's an obvious link between AEG and concerns that we have about the decedent 's demise , '' Levitch said . `` So , that 's one obvious source of tension right now . '' Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff set a November trial date to hear Katherine Jackson 's potential challenge of John Branca and John McClain , who were named as executors in Michael Jackson 's 2002 will . Katherine Jackson has proposed that she or one of her children be added as an executor . `` We think it 's important for the family to have a seat at the table , '' Levitch said . `` It 's not just a matter of making a quick buck here . '' A Jackson family member would be in the best position to guide Michael Jackson 's legacy , he said . Beckloff delayed a decision until Friday on Katherine Jackson 's objection to the agreement made by Branca and McClain , who are serving for now as special administrators of the estate , to allow AEG Live to produce a Michael Jackson exhibition . Jackson lawyers argued in Monday 's hearing that the 50-50 split of profits for the exhibition was too generous to AEG Live , but estate lawyers said they negotiated the best terms possible . AEG Live lawyer Kathy Jorrie said any further delay in approval would cause the company to abandon the deal and the company would not renegotiate . AEG Live would hold the exhibition just as a documentary about Jackson 's last months hits theaters at the end of October . `` It 's important to the world that we present them with the memorabilia at the time the movie is released , '' Jorrie said . The judge has approved a merchandising agreement and the movie deal , both of which were adjustments to the contract Jackson signed with AEG Live earlier this year for a string of 50 comeback concerts that were to start last month in London , England . Estate lawyer Howard Weitzman said canceling the exhibition deal could cost the Jackson estate $ 5 million .", "question": "When is Michael Jackson to be buried ?", "answer": "will be buried Saturday , August 29"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Top seed Dinara Safina battled from a set down to defeat Belarusian teenager Victoria Azarenka at the French Open , but there was no escape for scheduled semifinal opponent Maria Sharapova who suffered a humiliating exit . Sharapova bowed out of the French Open after suffering one of her worst career defeats . Sharapova was thrashed 6-0 6-2 by Slovakia 's Dominika Cibulkova in her last-eight match on Tuesday while fellow Russian Safina overcame 19-year-old Azarenka 1-6 6-4 6-2 . It could have worse for former world number one Sharapova as Cibulkova had a match point to mark her first Grand Slam quarterfinal by dishing out the dreaded double bagel . Sharapova survived and she saved three more match points in the 12th game of the second set before her resistance crumbled completely with a netted forehand . It was her heaviest loss since she went down 6-1 6-1 to Serena Williams in the fourth round in Miami in 2007 . Sharapova , playing only her second tournament since a 10-month lay-off because of a shoulder injury , was bidding to reach her second semifinal following a run to the 2007 last four . The Russian star , whose ranking slumped to 104 in the world during her time off the tour , had won both her previous matches against the pint-sized , 20-year-old Cibulkova and both were on clay . But Cibulkova was in complete control , breaking in the first , third and fifth games of the opening set . The Slovakian was then quickly 1-0 ahead before receiving a code violation for taking too long between points . It did not throw her off her stride and she was soon flat out on the dirt surface of Court Suzanne Lenglen in celebration . Safina was given the runaround in the first set and was at one stage being held at 4-4 in the second , but recovered her poise on Philippe Chatrier court . Ninth seed Azarenka had beaten Safina at Indian Wells earlier this year and had also won three titles in 2009 , in Brisbane , Memphis and Miami . She played an almost perfect first set in just 23 minutes , but Safina then found the form that had seen her lose just five games in her run to the quarters opening a 4-1 lead in the second . Azarenka fought back to make it 4-4 but Safina rallied again to take the set -- and break in the opening game of the third . World number one Safina , who has yet to win a grand slam , finished the stronger to wrap up victory in an hour and 52 minutes . `` I just did n't take the chances I had , '' said Azarenka . `` Shedefinitely stepped it up and played some good points at key moments , which I have to give her credit for . It 's all experience . Hopefully I 'll do better next time . ''", "question": "Where is Cibulkova from ?", "answer": "Slovakia 's"}, {"story_text": "LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Bad dubbing , angry men with extraordinary facial hair , balletic fighting and more blood than you can shake a nunchuck at : just some of the key ingredients to make a perfect kung fu flick . Tony Jaa may be the modern day Bruce Lee , and in `` Ong-bak '' he shows off his impressive skills . Whether it 's a traditional tale of ancient Chinese fighting mystics , or a slickly made , modern bloodfest , kung fu has always been a rich part of cinema . We 've compiled a list of 10 of the best . Do n't agree ? Think we 've missed one ? Share your views by using the Sound Off box below and we 'll publish the best . 1 . Enter the Dragon -LRB- Robert Clouse , 1973 -RRB- Bruce Lee 's last movie before his untimely death , this is him at his very best . A man on a revenge mission , Lee travels to a mysterious island to fight in a deadly tournament hosted by an evil billionaire . Along with being technically amazing -- the nunchucks scene is jaw-dropping -- it 's the most stylish and iconic martial arts film ever made . 2 . Ong-bak -LRB- Prachya Pinkaew , 2003 -RRB- Tony Jaa is a modern master . He has appeared in very few major releases , but has already made a huge impact . `` Ong-bak '' is the perfect showcase for his extraordinary skills : whether he 's fighting a roomful of people or taking part in the most exciting chase we have ever seen -- jumping through rings of barbed wire and sliding under moving cars while doing the splits -- he makes this film every bit the martial arts spectacle . 3 . Wong Fei Hung -LRB- Once Upon a Time in China -RRB- -LRB- Hark Tsui , 1991 -RRB- Part Chinese history , part gripping kung fu movie , this eastern epic has Jet Li demonstrating his talents as the eponymous hero who stands up to invading foreign forces in 19th century China . Armed with a limitless arsenal of martial arts moves , Li takes on masses of gun-toting , badly acting opponents . A visual delight and Jet Li 's best work . 4 . Kill Bill 1 & 2 -LRB- Quentin Tarantino , 2003/2004 -RRB- Quentin Tarantino is a movie geek -- specifically , a B-movie geek -- and kung fu has long held a place in his heart . `` Kill Bill , '' his tribute to the genre , ticks every box : revenge ; a powerful , all-knowing nemesis ; stylish fights , costumes and music ; and blood , lots and lots of blood . 5 . Wo hu cang long -LRB- Crouching Tiger , Hidden Dragon -RRB- -LRB- Ang Lee , 2000 -RRB- Every eye-catching detail of this touching and beautiful film works . A love story with outlaws , witches and Shaolin monks is augmented by breathtaking cinematography and some fantastic performances from Chow Yun Fat , Michelle Yeoh and newcomer Ziyi Zhang . This visual feast tugs at the heart strings better than any karate chop could . 6 . The Karate Kid -LRB- John G. Avildsen , 1984 -RRB- A simple but well-executed plot sees Ralph Macchio 's underdog work his way up an unconventional path to take on the mean and nasty establishment . It spawned a spate of copycat films , while thousands of children signed up to after-school karate ; everyone now knows how to defend themselves by waxing on or off and that the best fighting move is obviously The Crane . Hiya ! 7 . Ging chaat goo si -LRB- Police Story -RRB- -LRB- Jackie Chan , 1985 -RRB- Jackie Chan is probably China 's biggest export to Hollywood , well-known for doing his own death-defying stunts . This is one of the films that got him noticed in the United States . When he fights , Chan is unstoppable : he uses every prop on the set and puts himself in enormous physical danger . Out and out fun . 8 . Shogun Assassin -LRB- Robert Houston , 1980 -RRB- Referenced several times in Tarantino 's `` Kill Bill '' films , this forgotten classic must have set a record for the amount of blood spilt as our hero crosses the country on a revenge mission . Early on , Tomisaburo Wakayama says `` they will pay with rivers of blood '' ; he is n't wrong . Violent and wonderful . 9 . Siu lam juk kau -LRB- Shaolin Soccer -RRB- -LRB- Stephen Chow , 2001 -RRB- Should this be in the best or worst list ? It 's definitely unique . Once described as `` the best kung fu football film of all time , '' this is one of the more ridiculous films of the genre . A group of down-and-out martial arts experts form a five-a-side football team to take on a group of evil , drug-taking clones . It 's as simple , and as silly as that . And it 's one of our guiltiest pleasures . 10 . The Matrix -LRB- Andy and Larry Wachowski , 1999 -RRB- A sci-fi spin on the genre , this modern classic has all the key elements : our hero has superhuman powers ; the bad guys , led by the relentless Agent Smith , form part of a shady , all-powerful organization intent on oppressing humankind ; and the fight scenes are fantastically technical . Against all the odds , it appears Keanu really does know Kung Fu . ... . Do n't agree ? Think we 've missed one ? Read others ' comments and share your views by using the Sound Off box below . ... . And the mainstream films that lacked the killer punch ... Street Fighter -LRB- Steven E. de Souza , 1994 -RRB- Jean - Claude Van Damme has made some good films , really he has . `` Kickboxer '' nearly made it into our top 10 . But this is , by a huge margin , his worst effort . Most depressing , though , is that this was the last major outing for Raul Julia -- not the way he should be remembered . Great game ; terrible film . The Karate Kid , Part III -LRB- John G. Avildsen , 1989 -RRB- The franchise came out of part two with a little credibility intact , but this last installment -- unless you include `` The Next Karate Kid '' -LRB- which no self-respecting `` Karate Kid '' fan would -RRB- -- managed to kill off our last shred of enthusiasm . Where the original might have inspired you to take up karate , this would put you off the sport , and probably kung fu movies too . Bulletproof Monk -LRB- Paul Hunter , 2003 -RRB- `` I 've got a great idea , let 's take a well-respected Chinese actor and pair him up with an annoying teen-film actor in a mystical kung fu movie ; it ca n't fail ! '' Unsurprisingly , this film was a disaster , shoe-horning silly fight scenes into a plot that spirals from implausible to disturbingly stupid . A frightful mistake , and one of our worst-named films to boot . Under Siege 2 : Dark Territory -LRB- Geoff Murphy , 1995 -RRB- The first `` Under Siege '' was a surprisingly good film , and Hollywood 's best martial arts expert acquits himself well , but this follow up is laughable . Seagal still fights like the best , but has lost the ability to speak , and whispers his way through the dialogue . Considering the action takes place on a train , we were amazed his co-stars could hear him . Come on , Steven , you were so much better when you were just a lowly , lowly cook . Game of Death -LRB- Robert Clouse , 1978 -RRB- Through no fault of his own , this is Bruce Lee 's posthumous contribution to the list . This tacky movie features fight scenes shot before Lee died , interspersed with material filmed using lookalikes and a cardboard cutout of the great man . The fights are impressive , but the rest of the film smacks of a cash-in -- they even use footage from Lee 's actual funeral . A desperate slur on Lee 's memory . E-mail to a friend", "question": "Which actor starred in `` Street Fighter '' ?", "answer": "Claude Van Damme has"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In an age when many people become celebrities through looks or connections , Jennifer Hudson 's rise to fame came the old-fashioned way : through talent , hard work and a close-knit family . Jennifer Hudson is in a new movie , `` The Secret Life of Bees , '' and recently released her first solo album . At a time when the singer is in a new movie , `` The Secret Life of Bees , '' and recently released her first solo album , Hudson is now back in the public eye largely due to a family tragedy . Hudson 's mother , Darnell Donerson , and brother , Jason Hudson , were found shot to death Friday in their Chicago home . The body of the singer 's missing 7-year-old nephew , Julian King , was found in an SUV on Monday morning . Julian 's stepfather , William Balfour , was detained over the weekend for questioning in connection with the case , a police spokesperson told CNN . He was subsequently transferred to prison on a parole violation charge , the spokesperson said . Balfour 's mother has acknowledged that her son has been questioned about the shootings , but said he had nothing to do with the crime . No charges had been filed against anyone in connection with the murders . iReport.com : Reaction to Hudson family tragedy The tragedy is a sad turn for the 27-year-old actress and singer , who first earned national notice for her performances on `` American Idol '' in 2004 and won an Oscar for best supporting actress for 2006 's `` Dreamgirls . '' Hudson 's singing career began in her church choir in the South Side Chicago neighborhood of Englewood when she was a child . She remained devoted to singing all the way through Chicago 's Dunbar Vocational High School , where there is now a Jennifer Hudson Room . -LRB- She 's in good company ; Dunbar 's alumni include Lou Rawls and two of the Staple Singers . -RRB- `` People would say it was unusual for such a small girl to have such a big voice , '' she told Reuters in 2006 . `` They would say , ` She sounds like she 's grown . ' '' After finishing school , she performed in the musical `` Big River '' at a Chicago-area dinner theater and took a job on a cruise line . In 2003 , she auditioned for `` American Idol '' in Atlanta , Georgia , and managed to earn her way to the top-rated show with a performance of `` Easy to be Hard , '' the `` Hair '' ballad popularized by Three Dog Night . `` Idol '' proved to be an uneven experience for Hudson . After the show narrowed down its 12 finalists , she started slowly , at times almost being voted off , but eventually her song choices -- including Elton John 's `` Circle of Life '' and Whitney Houston 's `` I Have Nothing '' -- made her one of the favorites . Sir Elton himself believed she was the `` best of the lot . '' ` Idol ' friend speaks out about Hudson case In the end , Hudson did n't even come close to making `` Idol 's '' final two , being voted off midway in the show 's run . However , her performances had established her as a talent to watch , and in May 2005 -- several months after finishing the traditional post - `` Idol '' group tour -- she was contacted by a casting agency about the part of Effie , the tragic soul of `` Dreamgirls . '' In the musical , which concerns an all-girl trio much like the Supremes , Effie is a weight-challenged musical powerhouse who begins as the group 's leader but is dropped as both performer and lover by the group 's manager for the more statuesque singer Deena . The role features the musical 's showstopping song , `` And I Am Telling You I 'm Not Going , '' and won Jennifer Holliday a Tony Award when `` Dreamgirls '' ran on Broadway . Hudson was unfamiliar with `` Dreamgirls '' when she auditioned , but she allegedly beat out almost 800 other women for the role -- including her former `` Idol '' rival , Fantasia Barrino , who had been the third-season winner . The role 's high-pitched emotions were a challenge , Hudson told the Chicago Sun-Times in 2006 . `` I had to find a way into it , '' she said to the newspaper . '' -LSB- Director -RSB- Bill Condon sent me into ` Diva 101 . ' He told me I was too nice . So I 'd come into the room angry , but tell all the ADs , ` Bill told me to do this . This is Effie and not Jennifer . ' I had to learn how to separate myself from the character with that attitude . That was Bill 's main concern . Effie had to have that edge . '' Her performance won her across-the-board raves . Variety compared her turn to Barbra Streisand 's award-winning debut in `` Funny Girl , '' among others . It also led to a host of awards , including supporting actress honors from the New York Critics Circle , Golden Globes , the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and -- finally -- the Academy Awards . At the Oscar show , Hudson tearfully thanked her grandmother , whom she described as her `` biggest inspiration . '' Julia Kate Hudson , who sang at Pleasant Gift Missionary Baptist Church , where Hudson got her start , died in 1998 . Since winning the Oscar , Hudson has been a mainstay of celebrity magazines , which have broadcast news of her engagement to `` I Love New York 2 '' contestant David Otunga , regularly singled her out as an example of a healthy plus-sized body type and held her up as an `` Idol '' made good . She 's continued her movie career with performances in `` Sex and the City : The Movie '' and `` The Secret Life of Bees , '' both of which came out in 2008 . She sang the national anthem at the Democratic National Convention in August at the personal request of Sen. Barack Obama 's campaign . According to many reports , Hudson has remained humble amid all the attention . She remains devoted to the church -- `` Church is where I 'm from . It will always be my favorite place to sing , and that 's where I 'd like to go back to , '' Hudson told the Sun-Times -- and uses her against-all-odds biography to inspire others . `` I 've had a similar journey as Effie , '' Hudson told the Sun-Times . `` Me being a part of ` Idol , ' her being part of the group . ... We both go through our journeys , trying to hold on to our dream and achieve our goal . We have hardships , but we prevail at the end . ''", "question": "Where did Jennifer Hudson get her first national recognition ?", "answer": "performances on `` American Idol '' in 2004"}, {"story_text": "LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Worldwide tributes for U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy , who has died after a long battle with brain cancer , poured in Wednesday , led by politicians hailing his role in securing a lasting peace in Northern Ireland . Senator Edward Kennedy , right , pictured with Northern Irish politician Gerry Adams in 1996 Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair , whose administration presided over the 1998 Good Friday Agreement which led to an end to decades of sectarian violence in the province and established a united ruling Assembly , praised Kennedy 's commitment to the process . `` I saw his focus and determination first hand in Northern Ireland where his passionate commitment was matched with a practical understanding of what needed to be done to bring about peace and to sustain it , '' Blair said . Kennedy , of Irish Catholic ancestry , was initially an outspoken opponent of British military deployment to the province during the violence of the 1970s and 80s in which more than 3,600 people were killed , but later moderated his views to support negotiations that brought all sides to the table . The senator is credited with getting an American visa for Gerry Adams -- leader of the pro-Irish nationalism Sinn Fein party accused of links to Irish Republican Army militants -- allowing him to attend a pivotal U.S. conference on Northern Ireland 's future . Sound off : Your reactions to Sen. Kennedy 's death Kennedy was awarded an honorary knighthood in March 2009 , for his contribution to Northern Irish peace , which included a landmark speech in the province in 1998 urging mainly pro-British Protestants and mainly pro-Irish Catholics to work together . Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen described Kennedy `` a great friend of Ireland . '' `` He has used his considerable influence in the world 's most powerful parliament for the betterment of this island , '' he said . `` In good days and bad , Ted Kennedy worked valiantly for the cause of peace on this island . He played a particularly important role in the formative days of the Northern Ireland peace process in the early to mid-1990s . '' iReport.com : Share your tributes Irish President Mary McAleese added : `` He will be remembered here in Ireland as a hugely important friend to this country during the very difficult times . `` His death will be greeted with a great sense of sadness here because of his long-standing affection for this country , not just with the peace process , but on many other issues , including emigration , '' McAleese said . `` His outstanding and remarkable personal contribution was made , despite the sacrifice and sorrow that was part of the overall contribution of the entire Kennedy family . '' Sinn Fein president Adams greeted Kennedy 's death with great sadness , according to the UK Press Asscociation . `` He has served the American people with courage and commitment for nearly 50 years . His service to Ireland through his role in the peace process was exceptional and contributed significantly to its progress . '' Irish former policitician John Hume , a co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in ending Northern Irish violence , described Kennedy as a close personal friend who took the Northern Ireland issue onto the world state . `` Ted Kennedy was at the forefront of persuading the British government to talk to the Irish government , '' he told CNN . Shaun Woodward , the British government 's Northern Ireland minister , said he was `` deeply saddened '' to hear of Kennedy 's death . `` Ted Kennedy was a true and constant friend of the peace process in Northern Ireland whose huge influence in engaging the United States in that process can not be over estimated , '' he said . `` In every sense he was an immense figure whose part in transforming Northern Ireland will be a lasting memorial . British Prime Minister Gordon Brown paid tribute to Kennedy 's achievements on the wider world stage , describing him as the `` senator of senators . '' `` He led the world in championing children 's education and health care , and believed that every single child should have the chance to realize their potential to the full , '' Brown said . `` Even facing illness and death he never stopped fighting for the causes which were his life 's work . I am proud to have counted him as a friend and proud that the United Kingdom recognized his service earlier this year with the award of an honorary knighthood . '' In Israel , Foreign Minister Avigdor Leiberman hailed Kennedy as a `` great friend of Israel and the Jewish people a defender of human rights and member of a family that through the years at the Senate was always at the side of Israel , in bad times and good and contributed to the deep and special relationship between Israel and the United States . '' German Chancellor Angela Merkel described Kennedy as a `` towering figure in U.S. politics . '' `` His battle for justice and equality was defined by persistence and resoluteness . In Senator Kennedy both Germany and Europe have lost a great and dear friend , '' she said . Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd described Kennedy as a `` great American , a great Democrat and also a great friend of Australia . '' `` He has made an extraordinary contribution to American politics , an extraordinary contribution to America 's role in the world , '' Rudd said in a statement , according to Agence France-Presse .", "question": "who is Brian Cowen ?", "answer": "Irish Prime Minister"}, {"story_text": "Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A beloved giant panda will leave for China early next year to the disappointment of millions of fans in the United States . Washington 's National Zoo will say goodbye to 4-year-old Tai Shan as he makes his way to a breeding base in southwestern China . He 'll leave during the first quarter of 2010 , according to the zoo and Chinese state-run media . Tai Shan -- on loan from China -- was born at the National Zoo to pandas that also are borrowed from China . His father , 11-year-old Tian Tian , and his mother , 10-year-old Mei Xiang , are due in China in December 2010 , according to the Xinhua news agency . `` While we 're proud to send off a healthy panda to be part of China 's breeding program , we will indeed miss him dearly , '' the National Zoo 's Web site said of Tai Shan . He has more growing to do , however . `` Although Tai Shan has the build of a grownup male panda , we still have to wait for about two years before it is sexually mature , '' said Li Desheng , deputy director of the management office of the Wolong National Natural Reserve in Sichuan province , according to Xinhua . Tai Shan will never be released into the wild , but there is the hope that his offspring could be , the National Zoo said . `` Since we partnered with them 10 years ago , the Chinese have more than doubled their cub production , which means they 're about to reach the significant goal of having 300 pandas in captivity , '' the zoo said on its Web site . `` By reaching the target of 300 pandas , collectively we will ensure that the giant panda in captivity is demographically and genetically secure . It will be a huge conservation achievement . '' The United States has 13 pandas on loan from China , according to Xinhua . The three in Washington and one each in Atlanta , Georgia , and San Diego , California , are due to return to China next year . Though Tai Shan has lived in Washington , his fans have followed him online for years , via the National Zoo 's Pandacam . They 've oohed and aahed as he 's frolicked , had milestone exams and grown -- from less than 2 pounds at birth to more than 200 pounds at his peak weight .", "question": "Where is the breeding base ?", "answer": "southwestern China"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It was two years late and billions of dollars over budget , but this week the Singapore Airline-owned A380 completed its maiden passenger journey between Singapore and Sydney . Making history : the first double bed on a commercial jet On board were nearly 500 passengers who had bid thousands of dollars for the historical experience . This was a turning point in aviation history as Airbus ' superjumbo became the world 's largest aircraft . And the time had finally come for it to receive some admiration . Singapore Airlines ' CEO , Chew Choon Seng named the jetliner the `` queen of the skies '' . Tom Enders , CEO of Airbus said he would like to celebrate his 25th wedding anniversary on one of its double beds . And CNN 's Richard Quest , who was on board the maiden flight , said there was `` nothing quite like it '' . The luxury on board , he said , sets a new standard for air travel . It 's the quietest large passenger jet ever built -LRB- inside and out -RRB- , it has a low fuel-burn to reduce fuel use and emissions , it can carry 40 percent more passengers than other large aircraft and in greater comfort . But the feature that has attracted greatest interest on the Singapore Airlines A380 is its '' beyond first class '' cabins . Behind the sliding doors of the Singapore Airlines Suites , the well-heeled can luxuriate in a private cabin designed by leading French yacht designer , Jean-Jacques Coste . There 's a wide leather seat and alongside that , a standalone bed . This is two meters long with Givenchy duvets and cushions . And for couples traveling , the beds on the middle two suites can be converted into double beds . From bed or chair , travelers can catch a movie on a 23-inch widescreen LCD . Laptops can be plugged into an in-seat power supply and business travelers with just a thumb drive can plug this into a USB ports and access a suite of office tools on Singapore Airlines ' in-flight entertainment system . Celebrity chefs including Britain 's Gordon Ramsay and Georges Blanc were behind the first class menu that can be eaten off Givenchy tableware . Unlike other airlines , that have considered offering casinos , gyms and showers on their future A380s , Singapore Airlines has opted instead for a configuration that , whilst offering luxury , also makes money . As Chew Choon Seng , CEO of Singapore Airlines reminded reporters last week , the first Boeing 747s soon ditched the lounges and bars on the upper decks in favor of seats that could generate cash . Behind the 12 luxury suites there are 399 economy seats , ranked 10-abreast on the upper and lower decks , as well as 60 business class seats that are the biggest yet at 87 centimeters wide . Singapore Airlines has ordered 19 superjumbos for an estimated price tag of $ 5.7 billion . The second is due to arrive next February with further deliveries later in 2008 . Tickets for the A380 's first return commercial flight between Singapore and Sydney were sold at auction on eBay . One passenger paid $ 100,000 for the experience , with the majority paying between $ 1,500 and $ 5,000 . The $ 1.4 million raised has gone to charities in Singapore , Sydney and a global humanitarian organization . From Sunday 28 October , Singapore Airlines will commence its scheduled service between Singapore and Sydney on one of the three daily flights in each direction . The jetliner to be delivered next spring will be used on one of the three daily flights between Singapore and London 's Heathrow Airport . It 's been a long road to this point for Airbus , but the journey is by no means over . The airline has a tough delivery schedule ahead to fulfil its 185 orders to 15 customers -LRB- see figures below -RRB- . Next year it plans to deliver 13 , a further 25 in 2009 and 45 in 2010 . Tom Enders , Airbus ' CEO does n't underestimate the scale of challenge ahead . `` This is not a piece of cake , '' he told CNN , `` but we have learned our lessons and we are very confident today that we can deliver to our customers . '' It has n't just been Airbus that has been frantically preparing for the A380 launch . Airports around the world have had to make changes to runways and gates , as well as buy in new vehicles that can tow the giant aircraft and lift high enough to its upper decks . Seventy airports are now ready , Airbus has said . Singapore 's Changi Airport , home to the Singapore Airlines A380 fleet , was the first , and when its new Terminal 3 opens early next year , 19 gates across the three terminals will be A380-ready with aerobridge access to both decks . Heathrow 's new Terminal 5 will be able to handle four A380s at one time . British Airways , the Terminal 's sole occupant , recently confirmed an order for 12 superjumbos and it now wants BAA to upgrade a satellite building to be built next to Terminal 5 to accommodate them . As Willie Walsh , BA 's CEO told CNN , `` we want to make sure that development is built with the A380 in mind . '' But whether the arrival of the A380 sets a standard for future air travel is still undecided . As CNN 's Richard Quest points out , while these giant airplanes may be suitable for getting large numbers of people between key destinations quickly , demand could be even higher for the medium-size jets such as Boeing 's up-coming 787 Dreamliner . As Richard Quest says , `` there 's no doubt the A380 will sell , but it is going to take a long time to reach the 420 sales which is the amount Airbus needs to make money . '' But those worries , he adds , are for another day . Thursday was a day for celebration . SOME KEY FIGURES Orders Total : 185 orders -LRB- 165 firm orders -RRB- 15 customers Emirates : 47 Qantas : 20 Singapore Airlines : 19 Lufthansa : 15 Air France : 12 British Airways : 12 ILFC : 10 Emirates : 8 Virgin Atlantic : 6 Thai Airways : 6 Malaysia Airlines : 6 Qatar : 5 Kingfisher : 5 Korean Air : 5 China Southern : 5 Etihad : 4 Delivery schedule 1 in 2007 13 in 2008 25 in 2009 45 in 2010 The Aircraft Wingspan : 79.8 meters -LRB- 747 - 64.4 meters -RRB- Length : 73 meters or seven London buses in a row -LRB- 747 - 70.7 meters -RRB- Height : 24.1 meters -LRB- 747 - 19.4 meters -RRB- Internal cabin width : 6.58 meters -LRB- 747 - 6.1 meters -RRB- Seats : 555 -LRB- 747 - 416 -RRB- Flight range : 15,000 kilometers -LRB- 747 - 13,450 kilometers -RRB- Wiring : 500 kilometers Ideal routes SIN-LHR DXB-LHR SYD-LAX CDG-NRT JFK-NRT Ticket sales for maiden passenger trip between Singapore and Sydney Top ticket price : US$ 100,380 The bargain : US$ 560 for a single economy seat E-mail to a friend", "question": "What superjumbo completed it 's historic maiden flight ?", "answer": "A380"}, {"story_text": "LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A habitually violent young man was convicted Wednesday of the murder of teenage actor Rob Knox , who had starred in the latest `` Harry Potter '' film . The father , brother and mother of Rob Knox pose together after the death of the young actor . Karl Bishop , 22 , attacked Knox and four friends with two kitchen knives outside a bar in Sidcup , south east London , last May . He stabbed them 10 times in less than two minutes , the Old Bailey court in central London heard . Knox , 18 , had rushed out of the bar after he heard that Bishop had threatened his younger brother Jamie but he ended up being stabbed five times , once in a main artery . He died in hospital later that night . Bystanders said Bishop 's face was `` screwed up in rage '' as he lashed out with the two knives , the Press Association reported . Days before the attack , the actor had finished filming on `` Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince , '' due for international release in July , in which he played the role of Marcus Belby . He was set to reprise the part in future `` Harry Potter '' films . Knox 's father Colin told mourners at his funeral , including co-star Rupert Grint , that his son had been `` living the dream , '' PA said . Prosecutor Brian Altman told the court that the young actor 's promising life was ended by a `` habitual knife carrier '' who believed stabbing people was an `` occupational hazard '' and had previous convictions for knife crime . Bishop is due to be sentenced on Thursday . Knife crime in Britain is a political hot topic due to a spate of recent killings of mainly young people in major cities . UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown has urged tougher sentences for those caught carrying knives . He told the Daily Telegraph last month : `` By carrying a knife you are not only endangering the lives of others , but you are more likely to be killed , or end up in jail . `` We need to change the way young people think about knives , we need families and communities working together ... to get this message across and help stamp out knife crime and get weapons off our streets . ''", "question": "Who murdered Rob Knox ?", "answer": "Karl Bishop"}, {"story_text": "Editor 's note : Abigail Thernstrom is the author of `` Voting Rights -- and Wrongs : The Elusive Quest for Racially Fair Elections , '' published last month by AEI Press . She is the vice-chairwoman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and an adjunct scholar at the American Enterprise Institute . Her writing can be found at http://www.thernstrom.com/ . Abigail Thernstrom says an impressive biography is n't a qualification for the Supreme Court . -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Judge Sonia Sotomayor is all but certain to be confirmed as an associate justice on the Supreme Court . It is close to unimaginable that the Republicans will peel off enough Democratic votes to stop Senate confirmation . She 's a first : a Latina . And she has an impressive life history : Raised in a housing project by a single mother , she went to Princeton and then to Yale Law School . It 's a classic American overcoming-the-odds story , but , while admirable , it is not a qualification for the highest court in the land . Democrats themselves have often implicitly made the same point -- about other minority appointees , in fact . They never saw the much humbler origins of Justice Clarence Thomas as an argument for his elevation to the Court . And they used a filibuster to stop Bush appointee Miguel Estrada from getting a seat on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals , which they feared would be a springboard to the Supreme Court . Estrada is a Honduran who arrived in America at age 17 with only limited command of English ; he was also raised by a single mother and made it to Harvard Law School , where he was editor of the law review . Supporters of Sotomayor argue that she will add needed `` diversity '' to the Court . Yet , with her confirmation , there will be six Catholics , two Jews and one Protestant . For many Americans , religious affiliation is more important in defining an individual than race or ethnicity . But no one is complaining about `` too many '' Catholics or Jews -- thankfully . America is supposed to be a land in which individuals are seen as ... individuals . Too many , too few : that is the language of un-American quotas . Sotomayor has suggested that race and ethnicity , to a substantial degree , define individuals . `` Whether born from experience or inherent physiological or cultural differences ... our gender and national origins may and will make a difference in our judging , '' she said in a 2001 speech . At her confirmation hearings , she will undoubtedly dance away from such ethnic determinism . But it would appear to be what she believes , since she has reiterated the point several times in different venues . Her supporters also emphasize the `` empathy '' she would bring to the court . It is a quality the president promised he would look for in making court appointments . In a July 2007 campaign speech , he said , `` We need somebody who 's got the heart -- the empathy -- to recognize what it 's like to be a young teenage mom . The empathy to understand what it 's like to be poor or African-American or gay or disabled or old , and that 's the criteria by which I 'll be selecting my judges . '' Evidently , however , not all impoverished backgrounds leave you empathetic . The proof is in the pudding , and the pudding appears to be party membership . By definition , conservatives are assumed to lack empathy . As Berkeley professor George Lakoff has argued , `` Empathy is at the heart of progressive thought . ... Progressives care about others as well as themselves . '' And , by implication , conservatives do n't . Empathy has thus become a code word for progressive politics -- the likelihood that , as a justice , the nominee will take politically liberal positions . Public policy preferences driving Supreme Court decisions ? What a shock . Some justices have much more respect for the law than others , but if the opinions were not often judgments driven by political values as well , they would be less predictable . Most court-watchers thought -LRB- correctly , as it turned out -RRB- that the recent New Haven firefighters ' case would come down four-four , with only Justice Anthony Kennedy 's vote hard to call . The results of an exam for promotion within the New Haven fire department had been thrown out because , with one exception , all of the successful candidates were white -- the `` wrong '' color , according to the reasoning of the city and Sotomayor . One can argue that race discrimination decisions do not involve ideology and are based on strictly legal grounds , but if so , it is passing strange that in busing , affirmative action and other race-related cases , even before the oral argument is heard we almost always know which justices will take what positions . Liberals still support busing , for instance ; conservatives oppose it . Sotomayor will replace another reliable liberal , Justice David Souter , and so the ideological balance on the court will not change . And yet , perhaps as a consequence of her implicit embrace of quotas and identity politics , she has come to the Senate hearings with public support that is unusually low ; only 47 percent of Americans say they want her confirmed , a recent CNN poll found . Nevertheless , Republicans are likely to tread softly in the hearings . Race-related issues make them nervous , and Latinos are a fast-growing group with increasing political clout , especially in such swing states as Colorado , Florida , New Mexico and Virginia . Barring the totally unexpected , Sotomayor 's confirmation will thus be a cakewalk . Let us hope that the public 's pessimism proves to be misguided and she turns out to be a lawyer 's lawyer and not an ethnic activist who tends to let the usual political definition of `` empathy '' drive her opinions . There is reason to worry : She will have lifetime tenure on an institution with enormous power . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Abigail Thernstrom .", "question": "Who is Abigail Thernstrom ?", "answer": "author of `` Voting Rights"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Gabon 's President Omar Bongo , Africa 's longest-serving ruler , died Monday morning , the country 's prime minister said , settling conflicting reports from government and media accounts . Gabon 's President Omar Bongo , who died Monday , was Africa 's longest-serving ruler . Calm was reported after the announcement , but Gabon 's Ministry of Defense nonetheless announced it was closing all of the country 's land , air and sea ports , according to a ministry statement . The statement , which was broadcast on state television and radio , said that in `` the best interest of the nation , the Ministry of Defense calls on the population to increase their vigilance and patriotism during this difficult and painful time the country is facing . '' In a statement , Prime Minister Jean Eyeghe Ndong said Bongo suffered cardiac arrest at a hospital in Barcelona , Spain . `` He dedicated his political life to his country and the Gabonese people , always cultivating the unity and cohesion of the Gabonese toward a true peace , '' Ndong said . The government declared a 30-day national period of mourning . Bongo , 73 , had been receiving treatment for intestinal cancer at the Quiron clinic in Barcelona , Spain , according to the Gabonews agency . Earlier in the day , the prime minister strongly refuted initial French news reports of Bongo 's death . He had vowed to lodge a protest with the French authorities about `` repeated leaks in the French press . '' Shortly afterward , hospital officials reported Bongo 's passing to Gabonese officials . Bongo took power in 1967 , seven years after the West African country 's independence from France . He imposed one-party rule a year after succeeding the country 's first president , who died in office . He allowed multiparty elections after a new constitution in 1991 , but his party has retained control of the government since then . President Obama said Bongo `` played a key role in developing and shaping the strong bilateral relationship that exists between Gabon and the United States today . '' `` President Bongo consistently emphasized the importance of seeking compromise and striving for peace , and made protecting Gabon 's natural treasures a priority , '' Obama said in a statement Monday . `` His work in conservation in his country and his commitment to conflict resolution across the continent are an important part of his legacy and will be remembered with respect . '' CNN 's Per Nyberg and Al Goodman contributed to this report .", "question": "Which country was Bongo the leader of ?", "answer": "Gabon 's"}, {"story_text": "KHARTOUM , Sudan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In an effort to shut down Khartoum 's Unity High School , a disgruntled former employee alerted Sudanese officials that a British teacher had allowed her class to name a teddy bear `` Mohammed , '' a British source and Sudanese presidential palace source told Time magazine 's Sam Dealey . An undated amateur photo shows Gillian Gibbons , who was jailed for allowing children to name a teddy bear `` Mohammed '' . Gillian Gibbons , 54 , was convicted last week of insulting religion and sentenced to 15 days in jail and deportation . Sudan 's President Omar al-Bashir pardoned her from her prison sentence on Monday and she later left on a flight for England . The two sources said Sarah Khawad was fired as the school 's secretary in November after an employment spat and threatened to shut down the school . The sources said Khawad did not appear to have a vendetta against Gibbons , but hoped that by bringing the teddy bear incident to the education minister 's attention , he would close down the school for anti-Islamic teachings . Watch Time magazine 's Sam Dealey 's report on the pardon '' The private school was shut down after the controversy came to light last week . It is unclear if it will reopen . Although there is no ban in the Quran on images of Allah or the Prophet Mohammed , Islam 's founder , some Muslims consider likenesses highly offensive . The sources said they have confirmed the account with Gibbons . Defense attorneys confirmed that it was Khawad who launched the initial complaint against Gibbons , not a parent as originally thought . Khawad also testified at Gibbons ' trial . Before approaching Sudan 's education minister , the two sources said Khawad tried to enlist two parents , who were also teachers at the school , to join in her protest against the teddy bear 's name , but they declined . Gibbons had been working at the school -- popular with wealthy Sudanese and expatriates -- since August , after leaving her position as deputy head teacher at a primary school in Liverpool this summer , said the head of Unity High School , Robert Boulos . She had asked her class of 7-year-olds to come up with a name for the toy as part of a school project , he said . Classmates took turns taking the teddy bear home with them , accompanied by a diary with the bear 's name written in the front of it , he said . She was taken into custody on November 25 and tried days later in a Sudanese court . She was cleared of other charges of inciting hatred and showing contempt for religious beliefs . Gibbons had initially faced the possibility of 40 lashes and a six-month jail term for insulting Islam . The incident sparked a diplomatic row , with British Foreign Secretary David Miliband calling on his Sudanese counterpart to dismiss the charges . Two British lawmakers , both Muslims , traveled to Khartoum to help secure her release . It also resulted in angry protests in Khartoum , with some calling for the British woman 's execution . E-mail to a friend", "question": "What caused Gillian Gibbons to go to jail ?", "answer": "allowing children to name a teddy bear `` Mohammed"}, {"story_text": "JAKARTA , Indonesia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- About 50 students broke into a Dutch consulate compound in Indonesia Wednesday to protest a film by a Dutch lawmaker that many Muslims consider anti-Islamic . Protesters demonstrate against an anti-Islamic film in front of the Dutch embassy in Jakarta . The protesters tore off the gate of the embassy in the city of Medan and ripped down a flag , said Dutch Embassy spokeswoman Gonneke de Ridder . Local television carried pictures of police dispersing and rounding up demonstrators . There were no immediate reports of injuries . Indonesia is the world 's most populous Muslim nation . The 15-minute film , `` Fitna , '' features disturbing images of terrorist acts juxtaposed over verses from the Quran to paint Islam as a threat to Western society . It has been posted on several Web sites , including Google Video and YouTube . Dutch Prime Minister Jan Beter Balkanende has said his government worried that Geert Wilders ' film could provoke a violent backlash . The film has prompted protests in other parts of the Muslim world . Soon after its release last month , hundreds of angry Muslims rallied in Pakistan , where the government temporarily blocked access of YouTube over a trailer for Wilders ' film . The protesters burned the Dutch flag and called on Pakistan to cut ties with the Netherlands . The Dutch government and others , including the European Union and the Organization of the Islamic Conference , have rejected the film . The OIC has 57 member states over four continents and claims on its Web site to be the second largest inter-governmental organization , after the United Nations . In its statement , it urged the international community to condemn the showing of the film and asked the Dutch government to prosecute the author of the documentary under Dutch law . Wilders has stood by his project . `` My intention was not to offend in any way , but to show the truth -- at least the truth as I see it , '' Wilders told CNN . `` And if the truth hurts and could be offensive , well , this of course is not my problem . '' Wilders is a member of the Dutch parliament from the conservative Party for Freedom and an outspoken critic of Islam . He said he has `` big problems '' with Islam 's Prophet Mohammed , the Quran and `` everything that is stated inside this terrible book . '' The title , `` Fitna , '' translates in Arabic to `` strife '' or `` conflict '' of the type that occurs within families or any other homogenous group . The film opens with passages from the Quran , interspersed with graphic images of the September 11 , 2001 , terrorist attacks against the United States . The video also includes disturbing images of other terror attacks -- bloodied victims ; beheadings of hostages ; executions of women in hijab , the traditional Muslim attire ; and footage , with subtitles , of Islamic leaders preaching inflammatory sermons against Jews and Christians . E-mail to a friend From CNN 's Kathy Quiano", "question": "Who is Geert Wilders ?", "answer": "is a member of the Dutch parliament from the conservative Party for Freedom and an outspoken critic of Islam"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Your saliva is doing all kinds of useful things for you all the time -- for instance , helping you chew and taste food . It 's also home to more than 600 species of bacteria , which are harmlessly enjoying the moisture of your mouth . There 's a slew of bacteria floating around in your mouth , but it 's generally harmless . Since people have different eating habits in different places , you might think an American 's saliva might look a lot different from , say , a South African 's . But a new study published in the journal Genome Research finds that bacteria in saliva may not be as related to environment and diet as you might think . In fact , researchers found that the human salivary microbiome -- that is , the community of bacteria in saliva -- does not vary greatly between different geographic locations . That means your saliva is just as different from your neighbor 's as someone 's on the other side of the planet . `` It was somewhat surprising to us , because in our sampling we did n't control for diet , or environment , or anything like that , '' said Mark Stoneking of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig , Germany , and co-author of the study . Now , Stoneking and colleagues are trying to figure out why . One theory is that since the researchers looked only at the genus of the bacteria in question , they might find more differences at the level of individual species . They are investigating this in a follow-up study . Stoneking became interested in surveying the bacteria of saliva when he learned that saliva contains more DNA than blood , if you include DNA of bacteria and other organisms . Human blood , as you might guess , still contains more human DNA than saliva . Researchers took saliva samples from a total of 120 healthy subjects . The countries represented in this sample were Germany , Poland , Turkey , Georgia , China , Philippines , South Africa , Republic of the Congo , Argentina , Bolivia and the United States . This was the first global survey of bacteria diversity in human saliva . The most common type of bacteria found in the survey of saliva was Streptococcus , Stoneking said . People typically have Streptococcus in their mouths living benignly , although certain species are responsible for diseases such as strep throat , meningitis and bacterial pneumonia . Why do you need hundreds of bacteria species in your mouth ? It turns out they 're mostly not helping you at all -- you 're just giving them a warm , moist home . `` Having those bacteria -- that 's the price we have to pay for having a lot of saliva in the mouth to begin with , '' said Nate Dominy , anthropologist at the University of California , Santa Cruz . Dominy , who has studied enzymes in saliva , found the results surprising , and said no one had previously surveyed the variety of bacteria in saliva . What else is inside saliva ? One component of saliva that has been shown to vary according to diet is amylase , the only digestive enzyme that converts starch into sugar , Dominy said . Amylase is also found in the pancreas and the small intestine . The human body evolved to start the digestive process early , in the mouth , so we can maximize the amount of sugar that we take in , Dominy said . `` Given that we have such large brains , and our brains are metabolically very demanding tissues , they 're extremely costly and expensive to maintain , so we need a lot of sugar , '' he said . Americans in particular have a lot of amylase in their saliva because their diets are full of starch : chips , rice and baked potatoes . But the Pygmies of central Africa , for example , eat mostly game animals , honey and fruit . They have relatively little amylase in their saliva . Dominy and colleagues found these differences at the genetic level , meaning natural selection has favored large quantities of amylase in populations with starchy diets . But there is also evidence that amylase levels can rise and fall within an individual 's lifetime . A study on college students in Ghana , who typically eat a lot of meat at the university , found that students who had grown up eating traditional starchy Ghanaian home-cooked meals had lower levels of amylase after attending the school . Humans have had starch as an important part of their diet for at least 12,000 years , since the advent of agriculture , he said . So what else is spit good for ? Saliva spreads molecules to the taste receptors on the tongue so you can tell whether something is salty , sour , sweet or spicy , Dominy said . It also helps soften food and spread it to your teeth so that you do n't have to chew as hard . Compared with other animals , humans are not very good at detecting toxins , he said . As a result , humans vomit much more than other species , and saliva buffers the acid that results from throwing up -- meaning you 'll likely salivate immediately beforehand to limit the damage . `` A lot of the value of saliva is attributable to the fact that , in human evolution , we 've had to eat marginal plant foods , things that are marginal in quality and full of toxins , and we need these particular salivary adaptations to help cope with those types of food , '' he said .", "question": "What is the most common type of bacteria in saliva ?", "answer": "Streptococcus"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Scientists in Colombia have unearthed the remains of a true prehistoric monster believed to be the biggest snake ever to have lived on Earth . An artist 's impression of what Titanoboa cerrejonensis would have looked like . Named Titanoboa cerrejonensis , the snake would have weighed 1,140 kilograms -LRB- 2,500 pounds -RRB- and measured 13 meters -LRB- 42.7 feet -RRB- nose to tail tip -- dwarfing the largest modern pythons and anacondas which can grow to 6 meters -LRB- 19.5 feet -RRB- . Scientists believe it slithered around the planet between 58 and 60 million years ago . Geologist David Polly , who identified the position of the fossil vertebrae which made a size estimate possible , said in a statement Wednesday : `` At its greatest width , the snake would have come up to about your hips . The size is pretty amazing . `` But our team went a step further and asked , how warm would the Earth have to be to support a body of this size ? '' Titanoboa 's fossilized remains were discovered at a coal mine in the tropical Cerrejon region of northern Colombia by an international team of scientists . `` Truly enormous snakes really spark people 's imagination , but reality has exceeded the fantasies of Hollywood , '' paleontologist Jonathan Bloch , who co-led the expedition , told reporters . `` The snake that tried to eat Jennifer Lopez in the movie ` Anaconda ' was not as big as the one we found . '' Based on the snake 's size , the team was able to calculate that the mean annual temperature in equatorial South America 60 million years ago would have been about 91 degrees Fahrenheit , about 10 degrees warmer than today , Bloch said . `` Tropical ecosystems of South America were surprisingly different 60 million years ago , '' said Bloch . `` It was a rainforest , like today , but it was even hotter and the cold-blooded reptiles were all substantially larger . `` The result was , among other things , the largest snakes the world has ever seen ... and hopefully ever will . '' According to Nature.com , snakes are poikilotherms -LRB- cold-blooded -RRB- that , unlike humans , need heat from their environment to power their metabolism . Therefore research suggests that at the time the region would have had to be no less than 86 to 93 degrees Fahrenheit for the snake to have survived . Most large snakes today live in the tropical regions of South America and south-east Asia , where the high temperatures allow them to grow to impressive sizes . Meanwhile , Carlos Jaramillo -- who was also part of the expedition -- said the tropical rainforest at Cerrejon appeared to have thrived at these temperatures . `` This data challenges the view that tropical vegetation lives near its climatic optimum , and it has profound implications in understanding the effect of current global warming on tropical plants , '' he said .", "question": "How much did the snake weigh ?", "answer": "1,140 kilograms -LRB- 2,500 pounds"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Scientists in Colombia have unearthed the remains of a true prehistoric monster believed to be the biggest snake ever to have lived on Earth . An artist 's impression of what Titanoboa cerrejonensis would have looked like . Named Titanoboa cerrejonensis , the snake would have weighed 1,140 kilograms -LRB- 2,500 pounds -RRB- and measured 13 meters -LRB- 42.7 feet -RRB- nose to tail tip -- dwarfing the largest modern pythons and anacondas which can grow to 6 meters -LRB- 19.5 feet -RRB- . Scientists believe it slithered around the planet between 58 and 60 million years ago . Geologist David Polly , who identified the position of the fossil vertebrae which made a size estimate possible , said in a statement Wednesday : `` At its greatest width , the snake would have come up to about your hips . The size is pretty amazing . `` But our team went a step further and asked , how warm would the Earth have to be to support a body of this size ? '' Titanoboa 's fossilized remains were discovered at a coal mine in the tropical Cerrejon region of northern Colombia by an international team of scientists . `` Truly enormous snakes really spark people 's imagination , but reality has exceeded the fantasies of Hollywood , '' paleontologist Jonathan Bloch , who co-led the expedition , told reporters . `` The snake that tried to eat Jennifer Lopez in the movie ` Anaconda ' was not as big as the one we found . '' Based on the snake 's size , the team was able to calculate that the mean annual temperature in equatorial South America 60 million years ago would have been about 91 degrees Fahrenheit , about 10 degrees warmer than today , Bloch said . `` Tropical ecosystems of South America were surprisingly different 60 million years ago , '' said Bloch . `` It was a rainforest , like today , but it was even hotter and the cold-blooded reptiles were all substantially larger . `` The result was , among other things , the largest snakes the world has ever seen ... and hopefully ever will . '' According to Nature.com , snakes are poikilotherms -LRB- cold-blooded -RRB- that , unlike humans , need heat from their environment to power their metabolism . Therefore research suggests that at the time the region would have had to be no less than 86 to 93 degrees Fahrenheit for the snake to have survived . Most large snakes today live in the tropical regions of South America and south-east Asia , where the high temperatures allow them to grow to impressive sizes . Meanwhile , Carlos Jaramillo -- who was also part of the expedition -- said the tropical rainforest at Cerrejon appeared to have thrived at these temperatures . `` This data challenges the view that tropical vegetation lives near its climatic optimum , and it has profound implications in understanding the effect of current global warming on tropical plants , '' he said .", "question": "When did the snakes live ?", "answer": "between 58 and 60 million years ago"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- Oprah.com -RRB- -- A businesswoman , a mother of four , an international fashion icon , a woman committed to making the world a better place for women and children -- Queen Rania of Jordan is truly changing the world . Queen Rania says cultural dialogue , education and increased opportunities are ways to combat terrorism . Rania Al-Yassin was born in Kuwait . Shortly after Saddam Hussein invaded that country in 1990 , her family fled and settled in Jordan . After graduating from business school , Rania began working her way up the corporate ladder . When she was just 22 , she went to a dinner party where she met Jordan 's Prince Abdullah -- considered one of the world 's most eligible bachelors . He did n't remain one for long after that night . Six months later , Rania and Abdullah had a royal wedding and started a family . And , though they planned for a life as royals , Abdullah assumed he 'd remain a military officer for life . In 1999 , while on his deathbed , King Hussein of Jordan stunned his country by announcing that his son Abdullah -- not his brother -- would succeed him as king . That made 29-year-old Rania the world 's youngest living queen . Rania says that being queen is not the trait she defines herself by . `` I am not at all conscious of it , '' she says . `` I make a conscious effort not to be conscious of it . Because I 'm Rania , you know ? People call me ` Queen , ' but , you know , that 's not me ... I 'm Rania . '' There are many perks to being queen , of course , but Rania stresses that there are also responsibilities . `` One of the major misconceptions about this position is that people think that I might be far removed , that I might not be in touch with reality , '' she says . `` The honest truth is that my life is very much about dealing with issues on the ground , dealing with ... the problems that our country faces . That 's something I do on a daily basis . '' Watch how Queen Rania uses technology to reach young people '' When most people think of queens , they probably think of what they know from fairy tales . `` For me , it 's just real life , '' Rania says . `` I am a mother . I care about my children . I worry about what they eat . I worry about the influences from their friends . '' Rania is not only sitting royalty in Jordan , she 's raising the next generation of royals too . She is the mother of four children -- 14-year-old Hussein , 12-year-old Iman , 8-year-old Salma and 3-year-old Hashem . Rania says her family tries very hard to remain down to earth . The family has relaxed much of the ceremonial pomp and circumstance of their position . Rania prefers that people not refer to her as `` Your Majesty '' ... and King Abdullah loves to barbecue ! The family never discusses the possibility that Hussein , their oldest child , could be the future king of Jordan , Rania says . Instead , she says the family strives to remain like any other family . For instance , to get the things they want , the children have to clean their rooms and do well in school . `` The most important thing is to instill them with the right values , '' Rania says . `` I just feel that values are the shield that you carry with you throughout life . It protects you from whatever life throws at you . '' Rania has become famous around the world for her efforts to improve educational opportunities for girls and the rights of women . `` In my mind , poverty is a ` she , ' '' Rania says . Helping others is something Rania says she feels compelled to do . `` Once you feel that others are like you , then you want for others what you want for yourself , '' she says . `` And that way you start helping others . '' Rania explains that there is a direct relationship between increasing education and eliminating poverty . `` You can change the course of a nation through education , '' she says . `` One of the most important things you can do for a girl is empower her with her education . Once she has the education , she can then have control over her income , she can change her life , she can have choices . '' To understand what life is like for the women in Rania 's kingdom , `` The Oprah Show '' spent a day with a few women in Amman , the capital city of Jordan . One woman named Muna worries about striking a balance between work and motherhood . Part of that means preparing lunch -- the most important meal in Jordanian culture -- for her family . Unlike in America , most children and husbands return home to eat with their families for lunch . Just like in America , Muna cooks a variety of meals , everything from traditional Arabic food to hamburgers and spaghetti . In this largely Muslim country , one religious tradition is increasingly a matter of choice . Approximately 60 percent of Jordanian women wear a veil . Though Queen Rania says she has never worn a veil , she understands why a woman would want to . `` We think it 's a personal choice , '' she says . `` Unfortunately , in the West , people look at the veil as a sign of oppression or weakness . This is not true as long as a woman is wearing it because of her belief . I always say we should judge a woman according to what 's going on in their heads rather than what 's going on top of their heads . '' Rania says that when people focus on differences between cultures -- especially stereotypes and things like veils -- they fail to realize just how similar all people are . `` Once you go beyond the mannerisms , the language , the cultural idiosyncrasies , you realize that you 're basically the same , you know ? '' she says . Rania also wants to break down the stereotypes the West holds about her culture . `` I would like to dispel the misconception that Arabs are all extremists , that Arab people are violent and that women in the Arab world are oppressed and suppressed , '' she says . The struggle we feel today is not really Middle East against the West , Rania says , but rather it is between extremists and moderates of all religions . `` We need to speak up , '' she says . `` The biggest nightmare for the extremists is for us to get along , and that 's why we have to get along . We have to communicate more . '' In the future , Rania says she hopes for a more open and secure world . `` We look at problems happening halfway across the world and we think , ` Well , that 's their problem . ' But it 's not , '' she says . `` When you solve somebody else 's problem , you 're solving a problem for yourself because our world today is so interconnected . '' Rania says solving problems that stem from intolerance -- like terrorism -- require cultural dialogue , education and increased opportunities . `` We have to create opportunities for our youth so they have a chance in life , '' she says . `` Whenever you 're frustrated and you feel like you do n't have a future or you ca n't get a job , then you 're more susceptible to be influenced by terrorism and extremist ideology . '' Oprah.com : Africa 's first-ever elected female president From `` The Oprah Winfrey Show '' Subscribe to O , The Oprah Magazine for up to 75 % off the newsstand price . That 's like getting 18 issues FREE . Subscribe now ! TM & \u00a9 2009 Harpo Productions , Inc. . All Rights Reserved .", "question": "What is the number of children Queen Rania has ?", "answer": "She is the mother of four"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- At least six people were killed Thursday when a powerful earthquake struck off the coast of Honduras , President Jose Manuel Zelaya told CNN en Espa\u00f1ol 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 -LRB- 200 km -RRB- 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 -LRB- 320 km -RRB- north of the capital , according to the U.S. Geological Survey . Half an hour later , a 4.8-magnitude aftershock hit about 155 miles -LRB- 250 km -RRB- 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 -LRB- 43 km -RRB- 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 could n'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 .", "question": "How far was the quake center from Roatan ?", "answer": "27 miles -LRB- 43 km"}, {"story_text": "NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A $ 15.5 million payout made by oil giant Shell to settle a lawsuit brought against it by relations of executed Nigerian writer Ken Saro-Wiwa and other activists will allow the families of the victims to move on with their lives , Saro-Wiwa 's son has told CNN . Saro-Wiwa said the settlement would allow the families of the victims to draw a line under the past . The New York lawsuit -- brought to court by the Center for Constitutional Rights on behalf of Saro-Wiwa 's family and others in 1996 -- accused Shell 's Nigerian subsidiary of complicity in the writer 's 1995 hanging and the killings or persecution of other environmental activists in the Niger Delta . Nigeria 's Ogoni people have complained for years that Shell was allowed to pollute its land without consequences . Saro-Wiwa 's death sparked a worldwide outcry , and his movement ultimately forced Shell out of the oil - and gas-rich Ogoniland region . `` It enables us to draw a line under the past and actually face the future with something tangible , some hope that this is the beginning of a better engagement between all the stakeholders in this issue , '' Ken Saro-Wiwa Jr. told CNN . Shell said it `` had no part in the violence that took place '' but called the settlement `` a humanitarian gesture to set up a trust fund to benefit the Ogoni people . '' Shell fought the lawsuit until last week , when a federal appellate court ruled that the plaintiffs could sue the company 's Nigerian subsidiary in American courts , overturning a March decision in the company 's favor . Saro-Wiwa said the case set a precedent for oil companies operating in regions such as West Africa by demonstrating that they could `` be brought to trial in America for human rights violations in Africa . '' Watch Saro-Wiwa discuss how he hopes the case will set a precedent '' `` Justice is always hard won ... It took 13 years to go through the legal process but clearly before we started this corporations throught they could almost operate with impunity but now the legal landscape has changed , '' he said . Roughly half of the settlement will go into a trust fund to help the people of Nigeria 's Ogoni region , according to court papers .", "question": "Half of the settlement will go to help who ?", "answer": "the people of Nigeria 's Ogoni region"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama on Monday strongly praised a decision by the nation 's pharmaceutical industry to agree to a deal cutting drug costs for elderly Americans , calling it an example of the kind of compromise required for successful national health care reform . President Obama says the pharmaceutical industry announcement `` marks a major step forward . '' The agreement discounts medications for Medicare beneficiaries facing high out-of-pocket expenses when their benefits reach a gap in coverage . `` This is a significant breakthrough on the road to health care reform , one that will make the difference in the lives of many older Americans , '' Obama said at the White House . `` Today marks a major step forward , but it will only be meaningful if we complete the journey . ... I have to repeat and revive an old saying we had from the campaign : Yes , we can . We are going to get this done . '' The nation 's top drug manufacturers agreed over the weekend to at least a 50 percent discount for most beneficiaries for brand-name medicines purchased in the so-called `` doughnut hole '' gap in coverage , Obama noted . The gap involves medication costs of senior citizens between roughly $ 2,700 and $ 6,100 a year that are not covered by the Medicare part D plan . The deal will be part of an $ 80 billion reduction in Medicare drug costs for senior citizens over the next 10 years , according to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus , D-Montana , who helped negotiate the agreement . Part of that $ 80 billion will go to closing the Medicare prescription drug `` doughnut hole . '' Congressional staffers did not have precise estimates , but Finance Committee spokesman Erin Shields said they expect the $ 80 billion commitment to both cover the Medicare drug gap and leave additional money for other , still unannounced , programs . The American Association of Retired People , the nation 's largest organization of senior citizens , has praised the pharmaceutical industry agreement as a step toward health care reform . Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs noted Monday that AARP was opposed to health care reform during the first term of former President Bill Clinton in the early 1990s . `` You 've got the pharmaceutical industry and the largest group representing seniors in this country , who 16 years ago were n't at the table but were on the other side of the political debate , '' Gibbs said of groups expressing support Monday for health care reform . `` I think that represents progress and important steps towards real reform . '' Overhauling health care is a top priority of Obama 's administration , but the initial proposals to reach Congress last week received a rocky reception . The Congressional Budget Office determined that either of two similar bills written by Senate Democrats would cost more than $ 1 trillion , which was higher than expected . Republican opponents immediately slammed the measures , and the Senate Finance Committee delayed scheduled hearings on one of the bills . Hearings by the Senate Committee on Health , Education , Labor and Pensions on the other measure began amid intense partisan bickering , with hundreds of amendments proposed by Republican opponents . At least two more bills are expected from the House of Representatives , and a bipartisan group led by former Senate majority leaders Tom Daschle , Howard Baker and Bob Dole also has offered guidelines for a proposal . At issue is how best to reduce the cost and increase the reach of the current health care system , which officials say is increasingly draining personal , corporate and government budgets while leaving 46 million Americans without health insurance . Obama has warned that a failure to act soon will bring far worse economic difficulties than the costs of plans under discussion . Both parties in Congress agree on the need to slow the increase in health care costs while ensuring that all Americans can get health insurance , but they differ sharply on how to proceed . Democrats generally favor a government-funded `` public option '' to compete with private insurers . Republicans have said such a step would lead to a government takeover of health care , which they oppose . Republicans also accuse Obama and Democrats of trying to rush through what they say is flawed legislation in 2009 before the politics of midterm elections in 2010 and the 2012 presidential race . The parties do appear to agree on several broad principles , however , including an emphasis on preventive care , cost-cutting measures in the existing Medicare and Medicaid programs , and a halt to denials of coverage because of pre-existing medical conditions . CNN 's Lisa Desjardins contributed to this report .", "question": "how much is the discount ?", "answer": "at least a 50 percent"}, {"story_text": "Brussels , Belgium -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- NATO and Russia remained at odds over the alliance 's plans for a missile defense system in Europe after a foreign ministers meeting in Brussels Thursday . NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said `` differences remain '' over the plans , but he rejected Russia 's complaints that NATO was ignoring Moscow 's concerns the missile defense system could be used against it . `` We listen and we have listened today , '' Rasmussen said after a meeting of NATO 's 28 foreign ministers with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov . `` We take Russian concerns seriously . '' Rasmussen 's tone was softer than his comments Wednesday , when he said Russia 's threats to withdraw from the START treaty and deploy ballistic missiles on its southern border to counter the missile shield were reminiscent of a confrontation of a bygone era and reflect a `` fundamental misunderstanding of the West 's intentions . '' `` We do not consider Russia an enemy , '' he said Thursday after the meeting . `` We consider Russia a partner . '' Lavrov said after the talks that NATO was unwilling to compromise `` Unfortunately our partners are not yet ready for cooperation on missile defense , '' he said , adding the Moscow needed `` clear guarantees '' the missile defense system would not target its own nuclear deterrent . `` We stand ready for dialogue provided that legitimate concerns of all parties are taken into consideration , '' Lavrov said . `` We can find a mutually beneficial solution , we still have some time but time is running out every day . '' The Obama administration and its European allies have tried to ease Russia 's fears over the project by insisting that the system is directed toward countering the missile threat from the Middle East from which Russia also needs protection . U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton attempted to make that argument again following the meeting . `` We will continue to press forward on missile defense ; we 'll be transparent . We have explained that our system can not and will not threaten Russia , does not affect our strategic balance with Russia , '' she told reporters . `` No other country will be given a veto over what threats we perceive are most salient . Ballistic missiles against the territory we are pledged to protect are not coming from Russia in our assessment but from other locations . It 's not directed at Russia , not about Russia ; it 's Iran and others who are threatening to develop missile technology . '' Since NATO approved the U.S.-designed system at last year 's summit in Lisbon , Poland , Romania , Spain and Turkey have agreed to deploy parts of it . NATO asked Russia to participate in the system but negotiations have been deadlocked over Russia 's demand for a legally binding treaty guaranteeing the shield would not be used as a deterrent to Moscow 's own systems . Rasmussen said he hoped a political agreement with Moscow could be reached before a summit between NATO and Russia in Chicago next May . That is when NATO is expected to declare an interim operational capability of the system . Last month , Russian President Dmitry Medvedev threatened to withdraw from the START treaty on nuclear weapons reductions and deploy ballistic missiles in its exclave of Kaliningrad on its border with Europe if NATO moved ahead with the plans for missile defense . Tensions increased last week when Dmitry Rogozin , Russia 's ambassador to NATO , suggested Moscow would close transit routes that send vital supplies to troops in Afghanistan . More than half the supplies for NATO forces in Afghanistan now arrive from Afghanistan 's northern border with Russia and Central Asia . The so-called Northern Distribution Network has become even more important to the war effort in Afghanistan now that Pakistan has shut down its border crossings into Afghanistan following a U.S. air attack killed two dozen Pakistani soldiers late last month . U.S. officials have said that Rogozin has indicated that his remarks were taken `` out of context , '' but he has yet to clarify his remarks . Rasmussen said such threats to close the supply routes were an `` empty threat '' because stabilizing Russia was `` clearly in Russia 's self interests . '' Moscow `` knows from bitter experience that instability in Afghanistan has negative repercussions in Russia as well , '' he said , referring to the Soviet occupation of the country in the 1990s . Tensions remained high with Russia over comments by Hillary Clinton this week voicing `` serious concerns '' about recent Russia 's parliamentary elections and calling for an investigation into allegations of fraud and vote-rigging . Russia 's Foreign Ministry described Clinton 's comments as `` unacceptable '' and Medvedev said Russia 's political system was `` none of their business . '' NATO ministers also discussed Afghanistan and plans to gradually transfer security control to Afghan forces before foreign combat troops plan to withdraw by the end of 2014 , as well as tensions with Pakistan over last month 's attack . The United States has expressed condolences for the attack and is leading an investigation into the incident . Rasmussen on Wednesday expressed regret for the attack and called for renewed cooperation between NATO and Pakistan in Afghanistan . `` I fully agree that at the end of the day we need a positive engagement of Pakistan if we are to ensure long-term peace and stability in Afghanistan , '' he said . The NATO meeting follows Monday 's conference in Bonn , Germany , where some 100 nations and international organizations pledged to keep supporting Afghanistan beyond the 2014 withdrawal .", "question": "Who does Clinton say is threatening to develop the technology ?", "answer": "Iran and others"}, {"story_text": "ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Like many young men , Josh Nahum loved a thrill . That 's why he took up skydiving . But on Labor Day weekend in 2006 , he had an accident while skydiving in Colorado , fracturing his femur and skull . Josh Nahum , right , died at 27 from a bacterial infection he got while being treated for skydiving injuries . Josh spent six weeks in the intensive care unit . Slowly , his condition improved , and his doctors predicted that with rehabilitation , he could fully recover in a year or two . But instead of recovering , Josh developed a bacterial infection . He died two weeks later at the age of 27 . `` One nurse , who was trying to be comforting , said , ` These things happen , ' '' says Victoria Nahum , Josh 's stepmother . `` That 's true , but they happen way more often than they need to happen . '' According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , Josh is one of 99,000 people who die each year because of infections acquired in the hospital . As Betsy McCaughey , the former lieutenant governor of New York , put it , `` You do n't often come across such a big problem that you can prevent . '' After being contacted by families like the Nahums , McCaughey started the Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths . After Josh died , the Nahums started the Safe Care Campaign . These groups , and others , have advice about what you can do to keep yourself safe in the doctor 's office and hospital , from the waiting room to the operating room . 1 . Bring your own toys At the pediatrician 's office , do n't let your child play with the toys or books in the waiting room . `` They 're covered with bacteria , '' McCaughey says . Also , do n't let your child crawl on the floor ; bacteria there could get into cuts on their knees or hands . `` This is one place you ought to keep your child sitting still or on your lap , '' she says . 2 . Heat up your car Yes , we know that sounds strange . But studies show staying warm before and during surgery can help you fight infection . So the Institute for Healthcare Improvement suggests that in cold weather , you heat up the car , wear warm clothes on the way to the hospital , ask the hospital staff to give you plenty of blankets while you wait for surgery , and ask how they plan to keep you warm during surgery . 3 . Want to touch me ? Wash your hands first . Many people feel uncomfortable asking this . Nahum suggests putting it like this : `` I did n't see you wash your hands . Do you mind doing it in front of me ? '' Dr. Vicki Rackner , a patient advocate , also has a few ideas for lightening things up . `` In the hospital , you can have the grandkids make a sign that says , ` Please wash your hands and keep Grandma healthy . ' '' Watch more on preventing hospital infections '' Another suggestion : Put a dish of wrapped candy near the sink and say ` Could you please wash your hands , and oh , please take some candy with you when we 're done . ' '' If the doctor or nurse has gloves on , are you safe ? `` Do n't be falsely assured by gloves , '' McCaughey says . `` If they put on gloves without washing their hands first , those gloves are immediately contaminated . '' 4 . Ask where that syringe has been Doctors offices sometimes reuse syringes -- it 's unusual , but it happens . In fact , there have been 14 documented outbreaks of hepatitis since 1999 because of reused syringes . The recent outbreak in Nevada , where 50,000 people will be notified that they might have been infected at a colonoscopy clinic , is one example . It 's not an easy question to ask , but when someone 's heading at you with a syringe , ask if this is the first time it 's been used . Dr. Thomas Frieden , commissioner of the New York City Department of Health , suggests phrasing it like this : `` I read in the paper that some doctors are reusing syringes . I ca n't imagine anyone would do that . Do you ? '' 5 . Having surgery ? Speak up ! A week or so before surgery , ask your doctor whether you should wash your skin daily with a disinfectant such as chlorhexidine to prepare . Also , ask whether you should have a nasal or skin swab for MRSA , the superbug that causes many hospital infections . If you 've got it , you can be treated with antibiotics . The day of surgery , if the surgical site needs to be shaved , ask to be clippered , not shaved with a razor , which can create nicks where bacteria thrive . Also on the day of surgery , if your doctor has ordered IV antibiotics just before surgery , make sure you get them , as they 're sometimes forgotten . One last note : If you or a loved one has a urinary catheter in the hospital , be extra vigilant -- they can become breeding grounds for bacteria . First , ask if one is truly necessary . `` If the patient is awake and oriented and alert and can use a bedpan , it may not be needed , '' says Dr. John Jernigan , a medical epidemiologist at the CDC . If you get one , make sure it comes out ASAP , since the longer it 's in , the riskier it becomes . Ask the same questions about central venous catheters , -LRB- also called central lines -RRB- , another potential host for bacteria . `` My brother was in the hospital and needed a central venous catheter for his procedure , '' Jernigan says . `` The day after surgery , I asked the nurse , ` Are you all still using this ? Do you still need it ? ' And she checked and came back and said , ` We do n't need it anymore , we 'll take it out . ' '' Nahum says it all boils down to this : Passivity kills . `` People need to start participating instead of just being spectators when it comes to their medical care , '' she says . `` You need to do your due diligence . '' CNN Medical News associate producer Jennifer Pifer and associate archive coordinator Sarah Edwards contributed to this report .", "question": "What should all health professional do before touching a patient", "answer": "Wash your hands first"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- AOL Autos -RRB- -- Chrysler and General Motors announced this week that they would shrink their dealer base in the U.S. Chrysler will close 789 dealers . General Motors announced the closing of 1,100 dealers . Chrysler will close 789 dealers , leaving them with approximately 2400 stores in the U.S. General Motors announced the closing of 1,100 dealers and hopes to be at a size of 3,600 dealers at the end of 2010 . While Chrysler dealers will be `` forced out '' by June 9 , GM is positioning for a smoother closing of its stores , with each shutting down when it runs out of inventory . Unlike Chrysler 's announcement , GM 's list of closing dealers will not be made public , leaving that decision to each dealer . What happens to my GM or Chrysler vehicle warranty ? Your warranty is valid through its term , regardless of where you bought your vehicle . In March , President Obama announced that the U.S. government would provide the backing for Chrysler and GM vehicle warranties under the `` Warrantee Commitment Program . '' Can I take my vehicle for service and warranty work to another -LRB- surviving -RRB- dealer ? Yes , but make sure it 's a certified dealer . If you 're going to take your Chrysler , Jeep or Dodge vehicle in for warranty work , you can do so at a closing dealership until June 9 . After that time , Chrysler will no longer pay those dealers for warranty work . GM vehicles will receive service and warranty work at closing dealers until they shut down . Will there be good deals on these vehicles ? The Chrysler dealerships to close will have about 44,000 units on hand , or roughly what Chrysler , Jeep and Dodge sell across the country every 2-3 weeks -LRB- using April 's sales numbers as a guide -RRB- . There will be deals , but be warned that if those 44,000 are n't sold before June 9 , Chrysler will work to redistribute them to other dealers . Whether the best deals will be had before or after June 9 is likely negligible ; if you 're interested in a Chrysler , Jeep or Dodge product , you will save a lot of money on a new purchase right now . One important factor to keep in mind is that approximately 10 % of those remaining units are 2008 vehicles . Be careful the car you 're looking at has n't been sitting on the lot inactive for too long ; cars actually do `` rot . '' GM 's dealer announcement is a different story , since the company is n't releasing the names of the closing dealers . Dealers who chose to disclose their shutdown may provide better deals . AOL Autos : Why do cars rot on the lot ? How many people and jobs are affected by closing dealers ? The impact on communities will be significant . Since dealers typically employ about 50 people and contract with a handful of suppliers -LRB- consider the business that sells paper or office furniture to each dealer -RRB- , there will be impact within the community . Some economists , however , believe that the impact will be less than expected , since dealers typically have a high turnover rate and technician jobs were in a short supply already . But , the related aspects of dealer closings are certain : think of the little league baseball teams and charities that receive funding from do-gooding dealers . Even real estate is affected ; car dealerships usually set the market for commercial real estate in smaller communities . When those go empty , the entire city feels the pain . AOL Autos : Pressure to buy American Why were these dealers chosen ? Both Chrysler and GM have expressed interest to shrink their dealer base . Company officials cite various data points related to choosing these dealers , but the main one is performance . GM said that the average dealer of the 1,100 affected only sold 35 cars in all of 2008 . Chrysler cites similar numbers , with half their closing dealerships selling less than 100 . But , even after these reductions by Chrysler and GM , they still have more dealers than other manufacturers . Using April 2009 's sales data as a proxy , Toyota has approximately 95 dealers per 1 point of market share in the U.S. , while Chrysler has 256 and GM will have 172 -LRB- at the end of 2010 -RRB- . This means that , effectively , Toyota is able to sell more vehicles per dealership . AOL Autos : Fate of the GM brands Can dealers do anything about this ? Typically , dealers would have protection under state franchise laws against such events . However , in Chrysler 's case , those franchise laws are not applicable since the company declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy . Chrysler dealers can -LRB- and likely will -RRB- protest the process by which they were chosen -LRB- sales volume , number of brands in the store , the area in which the dealership operated -RRB- . But after June 9 , the selected Chrysler , Jeep and Dodge dealers will have to take down their signs . GM dealers will likely organize their own group , but details of that are unclear at this time . AOL Autos : Are extended warranties worth it ? Even after cuts , do the big three still have too many U.S. dealers ? Some companies need fewer dealers to sell the same amount of cars : Chrysler LLC Number of dealers : 2411 Market share : 9.4 Dealers per 1 pt . market share : 256 Ford Motor Co. . Number of dealers : 3723 Market share : 15.7 Dealers per 1 pt . market share : 237 General Motors Number of dealers : 3600 Market share : 20.9 Dealers per 1 pt . market share : 172 AOL Autos : Six cars to save the big three Honda Motor Co. . Number of dealers : 1304 Market share : 12.4 Dealers per 1 pt . market share : 105 Toyota Motor Corp. . Number of dealers : 1470 Market share : 15.4 Dealers per 1 pt . market share : 95 Market data shown reflective of April 2009 , courtesy of Autodata . Chrysler dealer total is effective June 9 ; GM dealer total is estimate for end of 2010 .", "question": "When will Chrysler dealers be forced out ?", "answer": "by June 9"}, {"story_text": "MALE , Maldives -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The new president of the Maldives wants to relocate -- his entire country . Much of Male , capital of the Maldives , was flooded following the 2004 tsunami . Mohamed `` Anni '' Nasheed , a former political prisoner , was sworn in Tuesday after he unseated Asia 's longest-serving leader in the country 's first multi-party elections two weeks ago . He inherits an island nation with several problems . Foremost among them : the very likely possibility that the Maldives will sink under water if the current pace of climate change keeps raising sea levels . The Maldives is an archipelago of almost 1,200 coral islands located south-southwest of India . Most of the islands lie just 4.9 feet -LRB- 1.5 meters -RRB- above sea level . The United Nations ' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has forecast a rise in sea levels of at least 7.1 inches -LRB- 18 cm -RRB- by the end of the century . The island was badly hit by the December 2004 tsunami , which killed an estimated 273,800 people and left thousands missing across Asia and Africa . In the Maldives itself , at least 82 people were killed and 26 unaccounted for from a population just over 270,000 , according to the Maldives Disaster Management Center . Sixty-nine islands were completely flooded and a further 30 islands half flooded . The capital of Male was also flooded , although sea walls protected it from further devastation . The government has calculated that creating a similar barrier around the rest of the country would cost too much . Watch Maldives president vow to save the nation . \u00c2 '' And so the tourist nation , which has white sandy beaches that lure well-heeled Westerners , wants to set aside some of the $ 1 billion a year it receives from tourism and spend that money on buying a new homeland . `` We will invest in land , '' Nasheed said . `` We do not want to end up in refugee tents if the worst happens . '' Nasheed 's government has said that it has broached the idea with several countries and found them to be `` receptive . '' Lands owned by Sri Lanka and India are possibilities because the countries have similar cultures , cuisine and climate as the Maldives . Australia is also being considered because of the vast unoccupied land it owns . Climate change is not the only challenge the new president will have to tackle , though . Other thorny issues include rising unemployment , corruption and a staggering drug epidemic . By some estimates , one of every three Maldivian youth uses drugs . Maldivians also worry that their tiny secular nation of 370,000 Muslims could fall prey to the reach of Islamic radicals . A bombing in Male , attributed to Islamic extremists , wounded 12 tourists in September 2007 . `` We have made many pledges , '' Nasheed said in his inaugural address . `` The citizens gave their majority vote to us to implement these . '' Nasheed said he will work to bring affordable housing and medical care for everyone . Twenty-one percent of the population lives below the poverty line . Nasheed , a 41-year-old one-time journalist , was among the fiercest critics of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom , who came to power in 1978 and ruled the Maldives for 30 years . He won the six previous elections as the only candidate on the ballot . Nasheed contended that Gayoom ruled with an iron fist , crushing dissent , amassing wealth and stacking his administration with friends and relatives . Gayoom 's critics say his government enforced a system of ` apartheid ' tourism that banned most Maldivians from nearly 90 luxury resorts . Shortly before election day , an auditors ' report said that millions of dollars were improperly accounted for by Gayoom 's government . He disputed the findings . Nasheed was arrested several times in the last 15 years and held as a political prisoner . Five candidates challenged Gayoom for the presidency in elections held on October 9 . Gayoom said he needed a seventh five-year term to see through the reforms he put in place . But critics said Gayoom instituted democratic reforms -- and legalized political parties -- only after violent protests in 2004 and 2005 . Nasheed and Gayoom ended up in a runoff -- with Nasheed winning 54 percent of the votes to Gayoom 's 46 percent in the October 28 race . `` No other citizens in the world in modern times have changed a 30-year-old regime so peacefully , '' Nasheed said in address . As the clock struck 12 a.m. Tuesday , Gayoom quietly exited the presidential office . `` I deeply regret any actions on my part ... -LRB- that -RRB- led to unfair treatment , difficulty or injustice for any Maldivian , '' he said in a farewell speech . `` From anyone who had had to face any such unfair treatment , difficulty or injustice , I sincerely seek forgiveness . '' Maldivians took to the streets in a celebration that carried into the wee hours of the morning . Residents danced to the beats of local bands and feasted on rice and mutton . They decked the cobbled roads of Male with the red-and-green flag of the Maldives and the yellow banner of Nasheed 's Maldivian Democratic Party . `` We can not believe that this is happening . I have spent more than half my life in exile in Sri Lanka , '' said Nasheed 's close confidant Mohammed Naseem . Journalist Sumon K. Chakrabarti in Male and CNN 's Saeed Ahmed in Atlanta contributed to this report .", "question": "Who is the new president of the Maldives ?", "answer": "Mohamed `` Anni '' Nasheed"}, {"story_text": "NEW DELHI , India -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The collective cry throughout India of `` Jai ho '' -LRB- May you win -RRB- received a resounding answer when composer A.R. Rahman took home two Oscars for the movie `` Slumdog Millionaire . '' Composer A. R. Rahman , `` The Mozart of Madras , '' celebrates his double Oscar win -- for Best Score and one for the song `` Jai Ho '' from the film . Rahman 's wins -- one for the song `` Jai Ho '' and the other for Best Score -- were just two reasons for Indians to erupt in boisterous celebrations Monday morning . `` Slumdog , '' which was shot in the streets and slums of Mumbai bagged eight golden statuettes in total , including one for Best Sound Mixing . Indian Resul Pookutty shared it with fellow sound editors who worked on the film . `` This is the finest hour of Indian cinema in the global scenario , '' said Anand Sharma , the country 's junior external affairs minister . Indians crowded around television sets in dorm rooms , restaurants and homes , exhaling in relief as Rahman 's name was announced as the winner . They high-fived each other , hugged , shrieked and wept . `` I can not describe this feeling , '' said Nikhil Jyonti , a Mumbai resident . `` I 'm bursting with pride for India . '' In the Mumbai slum of Dharavi , where many of the scenes in `` Slumdog '' were shot , a television was set out for the street children to watch the ceremony . Few in the teeming slum of one million people had heard of the Oscars , but they knew Rahman 's win was a source of pride for the country . Danny Boyle 's rags-to-riches film tells the story of a tea-boy at a Mumbai call center who earns a spot in the Indian version of the quiz show `` Who Wants To Be a Millionaire ? '' He raises the suspicion of the show 's host when , despite the lack of a formal education , he begins to answer the increasingly difficult questions with ease . The movie also won four Golden Globes and a host of honors at other award shows . While the overwhelming sentiment was one of pride Monday , the movie has faced backlash from many Indian movie critics who took exception to its depiction of Mumbai 's underworld without highlighting any of the city 's achievements . Among the most notable criticisms was one offered by Amitabh Bachchan , considered the most successful movie star in Bollywood history , and a former real-life host of the Indian `` Millionaire . '' The film , '' he said , `` projects India as the third world 's dirty underbelly ... and causes pain and disgust among nationalists and patriots . '' But most Mumabikers , still reeling from a terrorist attack in their city in November , embraced the movie while looking for something positive to root for . They found that in Rahman , a composer who has consistently broken barriers in his musical scores for dozens of Bollywood hits and is known as the `` Mozart of Madras . '' Rahman has sold more than 200 million albums worldwide -- more than the Beatles -- but has remained relatively unknown in Europe and the United States . Director Spike Lee used one of his songs in his 2006 heist film , `` Inside Man . '' Many hope the Oscar win will bring Rahman greater exposure . Rahman and Pookutty , however , are n't the first Indians with Academy Awards to their names . In 1992 , legendary Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray received an honorary award for his contribution to world cinema . And in 1982 , Bhanu Athaiya shared an Oscar for costume design for the movie `` Gandhi . '' CNN 's Saeed Ahmed and Harmeet Shah Singh contributed to this report", "question": "What did A.R. Rahman win at the Oscars ?", "answer": "Best Score and one for the song `` Jai Ho"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- With President Barack Obama limiting how and where detainees at Guantanamo Bay can be interrogated , some analysts are asking if intelligence agencies will be able to get the information they need to keep the country safe -- and where the prisoners will eventually end up . President Barack Obama recently ordered the closing of Guantanamo Bay detention facility . Fresh off his inauguration , Obama issued executive orders relating to Guantanamo , including one requiring that the detention facility be closed within a year . During a signing ceremony at the White House on January 22 , Obama reaffirmed his inauguration pledge that the United States does not have `` to continue with a false choice between our safety and our ideals . '' The president said he was issuing the order to close the facility in order to `` restore the standards of due process and the core constitutional values that have made this country great even in the midst of war , even in dealing with terrorism . '' At its peak , Gitmo held 770 people the U.S. government believed may have been involved in terrorist activity or military action against the nation . The facility drew sharp criticism , including from Obama as he campaigned for the presidency . Human and legal rights advocates complained that many Gitmo detainees were being held indefinitely without charge . There were a handful of reports of mistreatment of detainees and Obama , among others , said the facility was not an effective way to deal with alleged enemy combatants or gather good intelligence . With the closing of Gitmo and secret overseas CIA prisons , future detainees may stay in foreign custody . Those countries might not have the same constraints on interrogations , and they could share what they learn or let U.S. intelligence sit in . Watch more on the Gitmo dilemma '' `` While you 're able to say that you do n't have U.S. secret prisons , in effect , you may be able to get the benefit through your relationship with foreign intelligence services , '' said CNN national security contributor Frances Townsend , who served as President Bush 's national security adviser . But some say it 's the mere image of closing Gitmo that will help U.S. relations around the world . `` Guantanamo is an extraordinary debilitating symbol in the United States and the United States ' standing in the world community . Closing it makes good sense , '' Charlie Swift , a former naval defense attorney , said on CNN 's `` State of the Union with John King , '' on Sunday . But Douglas Feith , who helped shape the Bush administration 's terrorism policy , downplayed that notion . `` I do n't think that it 's much more than a symbolic decision , '' he said . `` The real issue is whether we can make sure that the extremely dangerous people that we 're holding at Guantanamo can continue to be held so they do n't engage in terrorism in the future . '' That issue was raised last week amid a new report by the Pentagon -- released days before Obama took office -- which said 18 former detainees are confirmed to have participated in attacks , and 43 are suspected to have been involved in attacks . Watch more on where Gitmo prisoners may go '' But security experts are questioning information released by the Pentagon , saying 61 former detainees from Gitmo may have returned to terrorist activities . That figure would be about 11 percent of the roughly 520 prisoners who have been released from the Guantanamo facility . But in a briefing Thursday , Secretary of Defense Robert Gates -- an advocate for closing Guantanamo while serving under Bush and , now , under President Obama -- seemed to downplay the number of former detainees who have returned to fighting . `` It 's not as big a number if you 're talking about 700 or a thousand or however many have been through Guantanamo , '' he said . On Friday , a Pentagon spokesman defended the integrity of the report but would not directly answer questions about where the figures come from . `` We do n't make these figures up . They 're not done willy-nilly , '' spokesman Geoff Morrell said . Pentagon officials said they would not discuss how the statistics were derived because of security concerns that such information could give clues to how U.S. intelligence officers collect their data . CNN learned some former Guantanamo detainees have returned to the fight . An al Qaeda video viewed by CNN 's Nic Robertson showed militants labeled with their former prisoner numbers . Saeed Shihri , Prisoner No. 372 , is believed to have been responsible for an attack on the U.S. embassy in Yemen that killed nearly a dozen people in September , barely a year after he was released from Guantanamo . CNN 's Susan Candiotti , Ed Hornick and Jeanne Meserve contributed to this report .", "question": "What has CNN learned about some former Gitmo detainees ?", "answer": "Guantanamo detainees have returned to the fight"}, {"story_text": "Jerusalem -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Israeli sailors boarded two aid ships headed to the Palestinian territory of Gaza on Friday , the Israeli military said . While no resistance was reported , activists criticized the Israeli action as `` illegal '' and vowed that activists `` will keep coming , wave after wave '' to try to deliver aid to Palestinians in Gaza . Activists on board the `` Freedom Waves to Gaza '' mini-flotilla were `` attempting to break the maritime security blockade that is in place in accordance with international law , '' the Israeli military said , and were refusing to heed their calls to turn back . `` The boarding was carried out in line with directives from the Israeli government and after all attempts to prevent the vessels from reaching the Gaza Strip were made , but to no avail , '' the military said . `` The boarding was carried out following numerous calls to the activists on board and during different points at sea . Following their unwillingness to cooperate , and after ignoring calls to divert to the port of Ashdod , the decision was made to board the vessels and lead them there . '' Sailors `` took every precaution necessary to ensure the safety of the activists on board the vessels as well as themselves , '' the Israel Defense Forces said . Activists will be handed over to Israeli police and immigration authorities , the military said . According to the activist organizers , this mission was the eleventh attempt to run Israel 's blockade of Gaza by sea . Five missions arrived safely in Gaza between August and December 2008 , with the rest intercepted by Israel . The activists said Friday that `` ground support crews lost contact with two ships , the Saoirse of Ireland and the Tahrir of Canada . '' It said there are 27 civilian passengers . The boats are carrying medical supplies and letters of support for people in Gaza . The activists said the navy interrogated people on the Tahrir around 7:30 a.m. , when it was about 48 nautical miles from the Gaza coast . Thirteen minutes later , ground support crews lost contact with two ships . Asked by the Israeli Navy for their destination , Canadian activist Ehab Lotayef replied , `` The conscience of humanity , '' the activists ' said in a statement . When they repeated the question , asking for final destination , Lotayef said , `` The betterment of mankind . '' Kit Kittredge , an American traveling with the Tahrir , said Israelis made contact with the group and told them to change their radio channel . Kittredge said the group declined to do so . Late Thursday , two Israeli navy ships shadowed the ships before pulling back , the group said . The activists said the ships had been `` illegally boarded . '' `` It 's clear that 27 civilians on two small boats , carrying only medicine , constituted no security threat to the Israeli state , and that the determination to keep them out is only a furtherance of Israel 's policy of collective punishment , a crime against humanity , '' said Huwaida Arraf , spokeswoman for Freedom Waves to Gaza . `` Despite this Israeli aggression , we will keep coming , wave after wave , by air , sea , and land , to challenge Israel 's illegal policies towards Gaza and all of Palestine , '' Arraf said . `` Our movement will not stop or be stopped until Palestine is free . '' Jane Hirschmann , U.S. coordinator for the Freedom Waves to Gaza flotilla , said , `` Had the passengers been permitted to proceed to Gaza rather than being stopped on the high seas by armed force , there would have been no threat to their safety . The IDF 's statement is like the mugger promising to escort his victim home safely . '' Ann Wright , one of the organizers of the Freedom Flotilla that attempted to sail to Gaza last June , said , `` It 's a little hard to imagine how 27 unarmed civilians on two small boats carrying medicine and letters threaten Israel 's security . Israel is simply determined to maintain its policy of collective punishment against the 1.6 million civilians in Gaza . This is a crime against humanity and violation of international law . Despite Israel 's consistent use of military force against nonviolent protests and demonstrations , activists around the world will continue to challenge the occupation of Palestine and the blockade and Gaza . '' Passengers on the boats are from Canada , Ireland , the United States , Australia , and the Palestinian territories , the activists say . The flotillas have sparked international controversy . In 2010 , an Israeli raid on one flotilla ship , the Mavi Marmara , resulted in nine Turkish activists being killed , a development that led to the deterioration of relations between Israel and Turkey , once close allies . Israel was roundly criticized by many over the deaths . A U.N. report criticized Israel for its use of excessive force in the incident but described the blockade -- which activists call illegal -- as a `` legitimate security measure . '' Israel says it is concerned about the smuggling of arms to Gaza militants intent on attacking the Jewish state . Gaza is controlled by the anti-Israel Hamas militant group , regarded as a terrorist group by the United States and Israel , But activists say Israeli embargoes of goods into Gaza from land and sea are collective punishment of civilians in what is a tiny and densely populated strip of land along the Mediterranean coast . Israel has said any organization or state that wants to give humanitarian aid to Gaza can do so in coordination with Israeli authorities via existing land crossings into the Palestinian territory . CNN 's Kareem Khadder and Nicky Robertson contributed to this report .", "question": "Where did the activists come from ?", "answer": "Canada , Ireland , the United States , Australia , and the Palestinian territories"}, {"story_text": "MIDDLETOWN , Connecticut -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The suspect in the shooting of a Wesleyan University student is in police custody , police in Meriden , Connecticut , said Thursday . Police have arrested Stephen Morgan in the shooting death of Johanna Justin-Jinich . A spokesman in Meriden said Stephen Morgan had been in custody there , but was transferred to police in Middletown , seven miles away . No other details were available . An arrest warrant was issued earlier for Morgan , charging him with murder in the death of Johanna Justin-Jinich at a Middletown bookstore on Wednesday . Justin-Jinich was shot Wednesday afternoon at the Red & Black Cafe in Broad Street Books , the campus bookstore , the university said . She worked at the cafe , the cafe said on its Web site . It said that her killing has left employees `` devastated . '' Earlier Thursday , a law enforcement source told CNN that police spoke briefly to the suspect after her shooting death . Morgan was one of several people who gathered Wednesday afternoon outside Broad Street Books after the Wesleyan junior was shot , the source said . He gave his name to investigators who spoke with him , the source said . At that early stage of the investigation , the source said , police had no reason to suspect Morgan . Earlier Thursday , Morgan 's sister had urged him to turn himself in to '' avoid any further bloodshed . '' Diana Morgan told reporters in Marblehead , Massachusetts , that her family was `` shocked and sickened by the tragedy in Middletown . '' She said her family did not know her brother 's whereabouts , but issued a brief statement to him through the media : `` Steve , turn yourself in right now to any law enforcement agency , wherever you are , to avoid any further bloodshed . We love you , we will support you in every way and we do n't want anyone else to get hurt . '' She did not take questions . Before his arrest , police had been worried that Morgan may be targeting Wesleyan University and the town 's Jewish residents . A statement from the university alleges that Morgan had written threats against `` Wesleyan and/or its Jewish students '' in his personal journals . Congregation Adath Israel , Middletown 's lone synagogue , canceled all activities for the next day , said its president , Eliot Meadow . He said police told him that they do not think Morgan is part of a larger anti-Semitic organization . About 200 families attend the synagogue , Meadow said , and he added that Wesleyan , a private university with about 3,000 students , has a substantial Jewish population . While Justin-Jinich was a student at Wesleyan and was Jewish , according to the Middletown mayor , there was another connection between her and her alleged killer , authorities said . Watch how suspect and victim knew each other '' In July 2007 , the young woman filed a harassment complaint against Morgan while the two were taking the same six-week summer course at New York University , school spokesman John Beckman told CNN . The complaint , in which Justin-Jinich said she was receiving harassing e-mails and phone calls from Morgan , was filed with the university 's public safety department toward the end of the course , Beckman said . The public safety department brought in the New York Police Department and after conversations with Morgan and Justin-Jinich , the young woman declined to follow up or press charges , Beckman said . Beckman said the two were not living in the same student residence house during the course . Additional details were not immediately available . Another law enforcement source also told CNN that in an excerpt from one of the e-mails sent to Justin-Jinich , Morgan wrote , `` You 're going to have a lot more problems down the road if you ca n't take any -LRB- expletive -RRB- criticism , Johanna . '' Watch the crime described as ` every parent 's nightmare ' '' Middletown Mayor Sebastian Giuliano said the connection between Morgan and Justin-Jinich may `` go back to Colorado . '' No further details were available . CNN 's Susan Candiotti and Ross Levitt contributed to this report .", "question": "What did the suspects sister urge him to do ?", "answer": "turn himself in to '' avoid any further bloodshed"}, {"story_text": "DENDERMONDE , Belgium -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Authorities have charged a 20-year-old man with murder and attempted murder in a stabbing rampage at a Belgian nursery school that left two children and a staff member dead and a dozen others wounded . A family pays tribute Friday evening outside the nursery school in Dendermonde , Belgium . The regional prosecutor 's office identified the man , who has been in custody since Friday , as Kim D. , and would not release his last name . They said he lives alone in Sinaai , a city about 20 kilometers -LRB- 12 miles -RRB- outside of Dendermonde . He has no police record and is unemployed , the office said . Authorities allege the man , whose face was painted white with black rings around his eyes , entered the Fabeltjesland -LRB- Fable Land -RRB- nursery school midmorning Friday and began stabbing those inside . He entered the building through a side door , typically only used by parents who are late in arriving to pick up their children from the school , authorities said . Once inside , he went through several rooms in the center . The dead included the head of the nursery , a woman in her 60s who was well known in the town , residents said . The other victims were young ; the nursery cared for children up to the age of three . Watch report on attack '' Authorities caught up with him about an hour-and-a-half later after the attack ended , the ministry said . At the time of his arrest , he had on him a knife , an ax and a fake pistol . He was wearing a bullet-proof vest , authorities said . Two other knives were found at the nursery school , but it has not been confirmed whether they were used in the attack . Kim D. has said nothing to authorities regarding the attack , the prosecutor 's office said . Authorities have searched his home , but they did not release any information from the search . Watch description of what happened '' The suspect , who is being held in jail , is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday morning . The judge has assigned three doctors to monitor him , authorities said . Earlier , authorities said he was not registered with any psychiatric institution . Dendermonde , about 16 miles northwest of Brussels , is a tight-knit community of about 40,000 people , residents said . Fabeltjesland lies off a park and is not easy to find from the road . On Saturday , the nursery stood quiet and boarded up , with tributes of flowers , cuddly toys and cards left outside .", "question": "Who died at the nursery ?", "answer": "two children and a staff member"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The chief executives of Ford and GM joined their Chrysler counterpart Tuesday in agreeing to accept salaries of $ 1 a year if Congress comes through with a bailout for the automakers . Alan Mulally , chief executive officer of Ford Motor Co. , has reversed course and will accept a salary of $ 1 a year . The statements came as the Big Three automakers turned in financial plans to Congress , hoping to bolster their requests for $ 25 billion in bridge loans . GM spokesman Steve Harris said CEO Rick Wagoner had agreed to accept a $ 1 salary . Harris did n't elaborate . Ford Motor Company said the salary of its CEO , Alan Mulally , would be cut to $ 1 a year if Ford actually borrowed money from the government . When Mulally appeared before the House Financial Services Committee last month , he said he would not agree to a pay cut . In his previous appearance before Congress , Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli said he would accept a $ 1-per-year salary if it helped Chrysler obtain its share of the rescue package . GM plans to display some of its new high-tech cars on Capitol Hill this week , a GM source told CNN . About two weeks ago , congressional Democrats ordered executives of the three automakers to show that they have viable financial turnaround plans when they return later this week to Capitol Hill . Watch why the Big Three are not all in same situation \u00c2 '' Ford released details of its turnaround plan in a written statement Tuesday . The automaker said that , based on current business planning assumptions , it expects its overall and its North American automotive business pre-tax results to break even or be profitable in 2011 . The company also released initial details of an accelerated vehicle electrification plan for a family of hybrids , plug-in hybrids and battery electric vehicles . The plan includes a Ford full-battery electric vehicle -LRB- BEV -RRB- in a van for commercial fleet use in 2010 and a BEV sedan in 2011 , the statement said . Ford said it plans to invest about $ 14 billion in the United States on advanced technologies and products to improve fuel efficiency during the next seven years . It also said it will sell its corporate aircraft as part of its cash-improvement plan . Speaking to reporters Tuesday , Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid , D-Nevada , said he would not support a bailout package unless the companies could prove that they would be viable after the bailout . Reid did not commit to holding a vote on the bailout package . `` No one is too big to fail , '' Reid said . `` We hope we can work something out with them . '' One of Reid 's aides said the senator had not read the Ford plan yet because he was involved in back-to-back meetings . GM , Ford , and Chrysler already have made sizable cuts in production and staffing throughout the year , with additional cuts expected in the next few months . Their plans were being submitted to the Democratic chairmen of the committees that will hear the automakers ' requests -- Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut , whose Banking , Housing and Urban Affairs Committee convenes Thursday , and Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts , whose House Financial Services Committee meets Friday . Lawmakers asked the automakers to describe how they will restructure their businesses to become more competitive . In general , the automakers have been asked to describe how much money they have , and how much they need to stay viable in the long term . Their plans also must address how the companies will meet health care and pension obligations to workers . After being criticized during their last trip for arriving in Washington in corporate jets , Mulally and Wagoner are driving to the nation 's capital in hybrid cars -- Mulally in a Ford Escape and Wagoner in a Chevrolet Malibu . A Ford executive told CNN the company 's plan , 20 to 30 pages long , was being e-mailed to Congress . He said the plan put a heavy emphasis on advanced technologies . Ford is worried , however , that even after doing a `` bang-up job '' on its report , the company may not receive what it needs , the executive said . The atmosphere in Congress was tense before Thanksgiving , he said , adding that he feels `` automakers have become the whipping boy '' for the industry bailout . Automakers are counting on a rebound in demand by 2010 . But that could turn out to be unrealistic because of an `` auto bubble '' the Big Three helped to create during the past few years . Cheap financing , easy credit conditions and attractive pricing on cars due to overcapacity in the U.S. auto market caused record sales earlier this decade . Experts agree those three conditions are going to be missing for years to come , and sales will be weaker than normal at least through 2011 or 2012 . CNN 's Ted Barrett and Kate Bolduan contributed to this report .", "question": "Who are the Big Three automakers ?", "answer": "Ford and GM joined their Chrysler"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A weekend incident with racial overtones at a high school for deaf students could result in criminal charges with `` enhanced penalties for a hate crime , '' Metro Police Chief Cathy Lanier said Wednesday . A black student was held against his will and then released with `` KKK '' and swastikas drawn on him in marker at the Model Secondary School for the Deaf on Sunday , she said . No charges have been filed , and no names have been released , Lanier said . The incident began when a group of black students and a group of white students were in a dorm . `` My understanding is the two groups engaged in friendly horseplay , '' she said . But , she said , the groups got `` angry with each other . '' The two groups separated , she said , but later , six white students and one black student -- all between the ages of 15 and 19 -- took one of the black students into a dorm room and `` held him there against his will . '' `` They used markers to write ` KKK ' and draw swastikas on the student , '' Lanier said . The student was released after about 45 minutes . He notified dorm and school authorities , who called police . Lanier said police have identified and interviewed the students involved and the `` investigation is ongoing . '' `` The support we 've received from the campus and from the school employees has been tremendous , '' Lanier said . `` And I think they 're supporting us in making a very strong statement that this investigation may lead to charges that could have enhanced penalties for a hate crime . '' The school is a residential high school on the campus of Gallaudet University , a higher education facility for deaf and hard of hearing people . The high school is administered as a division of the university 's Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center . Dean of Clerc Center Katherine A. Jankowski said the seven students who participated in the incident were sent home . Gallaudet provost Stephen Weiner said the school does `` not tolerate any action , behavior of this type . '' `` We are taking action , '' he said . `` We are looking at programs to help students understand we are a school with a diverse population . '' `` This incident is intolerable , '' he said . `` That 's why the Metro police are involved . That 's how serious we are about this incident . '' Jankowski said the school has also hired a consultant to work with the school and its students on diversity issues . On Monday , teachers and staff hosted a school-wide assembly with students related to the incident , said Jankowski . Individual and group counseling services were also available to students , teachers and staff . `` We are committed to ensuring MSSD is a safe and supportive learning environment , '' she said . E-mail to a friend", "question": "Have the police not charged anyone ?", "answer": "No charges have been filed"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The House of Representatives on Tuesday night passed an energy bill clearing the way for more oil drilling off U.S. coasts , but not nearly as much as Republican leaders wanted . The bill was passed by a vote of 236-189 . Many Republicans opposed the bill because it would allow new oil drilling only between 50 and 100 miles offshore . Republicans generally want to allow new drilling starting 3 miles from shore . Republicans also objected to provisions repealing tax cuts for the oil industry and what they said was a lack of incentive for states to allow drilling on their land . House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , a California Democrat , told reporters Tuesday : `` The American taxpayers have been ripped off for years on offshore drilling . This bill changes that . '' Before the vote , Pelosi said the bill presented a choice between `` the status quo , which is preferred by Big Oil , '' and `` change for the future to take our country in a new direction . '' Fifteen Republicans voted for the largely Democrat-backed bill . Thirteen Democrats voted against it . The Senate , meanwhile , could vote on various energy proposals , including more offshore drilling , as early as this week . The House bill would require states to give their permission for drilling on their land . It also would offer incentives for renewable energy , require the government to release oil from its emergency reserve , and force oil companies to drill on federal lands they already lease from the government . Democratic leaders had previously opposed Republican-led efforts to repeal a 1981 law barring most offshore drilling . But they changed course over the August recess , saying their new plans would allow some expanded drilling . See where U.S. offshore drilling is banned '' But Republicans say the House bill would n't expand offshore drilling enough . Before the vote , Rep. Mike Pence , an Indiana Republican , called the bill `` a charade , '' denying it would do what its backers claim . `` This is not ` yes ' to drilling . This is ` yes , but , ' '' he said . `` This is ` yes , but no drilling in Alaska , no drilling in the Eastern Gulf , no drilling inside 50 miles , ' '' Pence said . `` This is ` yes , but no litigation reform that will prevent radical environmental attorneys from tying up leases even before a single shovel of dirt is turned . ' '' Democrats and Republicans traded harsh words on the House floor Tuesday in the debate over the bill . Rep. Anthony Weiner , a New York Democrat , said President Bush 's `` idea of an energy policy is holding hands with the crown prince of Saudi Arabia , embracing him with a big smooch . '' When the Republicans `` controlled Congress , -LSB- they -RSB- passed their own energy bill , signed into law by the president . We got into this mess , '' Weiner said . But Rep. Jeb Hensarling , a Texas Republican , shot back that the Democrats ' bill is a `` sham '' and a `` fraud . '' `` This is a bill designed to ensure Democrats ' re-election , not designed to ensure affordable energy in America , '' Hensarling said . Hensarling also complained about how the bill was brought to the floor : `` No amendments , no substitutes , no committee hearings . Is this democracy ? No . ''", "question": "What vote did the bill pass by ?", "answer": "a vote of 236-189"}, {"story_text": "SEOUL , South Korea -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- North Korea fired several short-range missiles toward the Sea of Japan on Saturday , an act that the U.S. watched closely and South Korea called provocative . N. Korean army soldiers , back , look at a S. Korean soldier , center , in the demilitarized zone in June . Pyongyang fired six short-range missiles in less than seven hours , South Korea 's Foreign Ministry said . The missiles were apparently Scud-type , estimated to have a range of about 500 kilometers -LRB- 310 miles -RRB- , according to South Korea 's Yonhap news agency . South Korean intelligence estimates that North Korea has about 700 such missiles in its arsenal . Pyongyang test-fired four such missiles off the east coast Thursday , Yonhap reported . South Korea called the launches a provocative act , according to a government statement . North Korea had issued a warning to mariners to avoid an area in the Sea of Japan at certain times between June 24 and July 9 because of a `` military firing exercise , '' according to a U.S. military communication about the warning provided to CNN . The recent firings come amid heightened tensions on the Korean peninsula . North Korea conducted a nuclear test in May , fired test rockets and threatened U.S. and South Korean ships near its territorial waters . Watch S. Korea confirm firing of missiles '' The first two missiles were fired about 8 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. , Yonhap reported . Another missile was launched about 10:45 a.m. , the agency reported . A fourth one came some time after that . The U.S. Navy and other U.S. officials said they are ready to track any missiles . `` The United States is aware of possible missile launches by North Korea . We are closely monitoring North Korea 's activities and intentions , '' a U.S. official said . `` This type of North Korea behavior is not helpful . What North Korea needs to do is fulfill its international obligations and commitments . '' Earlier this week analyst Daniel Pinkston said the reported test might be training for a future test but it could also just be a routine military exercise . `` It is worrisome to some degree , but it is different from a ballistic missile launch , '' said Pinkston , of the International Crisis Group in Seoul , South Korea . `` It 's part of military training , but there seem to be no movements of troops or anything that would suggest preparations for military operations . `` So yes , people are watching it , the military is watching it here , but I do n't think it 's related to any plans or operations to attack anyone . '' CNN 's Sohn Jie-Ah in Seoul , Korea , and Charley Keyes in Washington , D.C. , contributed to this report", "question": "what is the range of north korea scud missile ?", "answer": "about 500 kilometers -LRB- 310 miles"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Explorer Dennis Schmitt found an island nearly two years ago near Greenland . Fishermen pass by Greenland 's Ilulissat fjord in this September 2004 picture . Such a discovery would usually elicit curiosity , even wonder perhaps , but it evoked mixed feelings for the explorer . The island was once thought to be a peninsula attached to Greenland by an ice shelf or a glacier . But such a large amount of ice melted , it revealed the distinct island . `` I very quickly realized two things , '' he told CNN 's Anderson Cooper during a visit to the island earlier this year . `` One -LSB- was -RSB- that this was going to be significant because it was going to be an example of climate change . '' `` The other thing was that it meant it was really happening . It was n't a joke . It was n't just statistics . It was really happening . '' He calls his discovery Warming Island . Many climatologists and scientists say arctic ice melt and other changes in the Earth 's climate are the result of an increase in the world 's temperature , a trend widely called global warming . Many global warming experts say the phenomenon , if unchecked , is capable of altering the world 's climate and geography . In the worst-case scenario , experts say oceans could rise to overwhelming and catastrophic levels , flooding cities and altering seashores . Other scientists and observers , a minority compared to those who believe the warming trend is something ominous , say it is simply the latest shift in the cyclical patterns of a planet 's life . Most of the scientific community believes that some warming is occurring across the globe and through some layers of the atmosphere . But why it is occurring and what that means for the future is scientifically and politically contentious . The Earth 's temperature averages about 60 degrees Fahrenheit -LRB- about 16 degrees Celsius -RRB- . The average surface temperature has warmed one degree Fahrenheit -LRB- 0.6 degrees Celsius -RRB- during the last century , according to the National Research Council . The temperatures were relatively unchanged from 1880 to 1910 , according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency . They rose till about 1945 , cooled until about 1975 and have risen steadily to present day . There are several possible reasons for the warming , scientists say . A change in the Earth 's orbit or the intensity of the sun 's radiation could change , triggering warming or cooling . The reason most cited -- by scientists and scientific organizations -- for the current warming trend is an increase in the concentrations of greenhouse gases , which are in the atmosphere naturally and help keep the planet 's temperature at a comfortable level . The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere , for instance , has increased by 35 percent since the dawn of the industrial age , according to the United Nations ' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change , commonly referred to as the IPCC . The presence of methane is now 151 percent above pre-industrial levels , but the rate of increase has slowed in recent decades , according to the EPA . Meanwhile , nitrous oxide increased by about 18 percent during the past 200 years . Many scientists and experts who have studied global warming believe the increase is primarily the result of human activities , like the burning of fossil fuels , emissions from vehicles and the clearing of forests . `` For the last 30 years , there 's no way there 's anything natural that can explain it , '' Stephen Schneider , a professor of environmental studies at Stanford University in California , said . `` A vast bulk of the knowledgeable and honest community ... will say the science is settled and humans are at least a majority of the reason behind the warming , '' he added . Many scientific organizations share Schneider 's view , ranging from the national academies of the countries that comprise the G8 to the National Research Council , the American Meteorological Society and the American Geophysical Union . But there are those who do not share his view , and among the skeptics is Richard Lindzen , a professor of atmospheric sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology . `` We 've suddenly taken to reading tea leaves , '' he said . `` When we saw cooling from 1940 to 1970 , we were proclaiming global cooling . Since then , there 's been a few tenths of global warming , so we 're proclaiming global warming . '' He believes the current warming trend is the result of natural variability , where a planet goes through phases of warming and cooling and the human contribution to it is minimal . `` The Earth is always getting colder and warmer , '' he said . `` It 's always changing . In fact , this is true of any fluid-covered planet . '' Asked about glacial melt , which many observers point to as evidence of global warming , Lindzen said the way glaciers change and move are phenomena largely unexplained . `` We do n't know why , but it 's perfectly clear that glaciers change even though the temperature is cooling at the place that they 've occurred , '' he said . `` What we 're doing is cherry picking any event that occurs and then saying that 's occurring due to global warming . '' Yet , for Schneider , it is a cause for concern and alarm . `` We 're already in serious melt , nobody can explain it . The models do n't predict it , '' he said . `` We do n't know what 's going on up there . All we know is that we could be triggering something really nasty . '' The greatest point of contention is the possible implications for future political and economic policies for the world 's nations . The IPCC in February 2007 projected that if carbon dioxide levels doubled relative to pre-industrial levels , temperatures could rise between 3.6 to 8.1 degrees Fahrenheit -LRB- 2 to 4.5 degrees Celsius -RRB- by 2100 . The lower end of the range could cause more intense hurricanes , droughts , wildfires and flooding , Schneider said . The higher end could lead to the catastrophes commonly associated with the visions of Hollywood filmmakers . Uncertainties , however , plague such forecasts , which are based on computer simulations and models . The models contemplate factors associated with how the atmosphere , oceans and continents interact , all natural elements that have unpredictability intrinsic to them . `` Exactly how much it 's going to warm up , we do n't know , '' Schneider said . `` That it 's going to warm up ? I 'd bet anything on that . '' E-mail to a friend", "question": "what temperature has earth warmed by in past 100 years ?", "answer": "one degree Fahrenheit"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- Mental Floss -RRB- -- Behind every good war are many good women . Using their feminine -LRB- and in at least one case masculine -RRB- wiles , the following five spies would make James Bond proud . Noor Inayat Khan was posthumously awarded the George Cross for her spy service . 1 . Mata Hari While Margaretha Geertruida Zelle MacLeod -LRB- 1876 -- 1917 -RRB- may not have caused World War I , she sure as heck kept it going . Having spent time in Java with her husband , Captain Campbell MacLeod , Margaretha returned to Holland and sued for divorce . To make ends meet she took up exotic dancing and the name Mata Hari -LRB- meaning `` the light of day '' in Malay -RRB- . With her sensual performances becoming the attraction of the major European cities came the men and the gifts for her favors . Many of these favors came from royalty and high-ranking French and German military officers . As World War I progressed , both sides became suspicious that Mata was spying for the other side . The French eventually put her on trial and , although the charges were never proven , Mata Hari was convicted of espionage and was executed by a firing squad on October 15 , 1917 . Playing the seductress up until the end , Mata refused a blindfold , smiled , and blew a kiss to the firing squad as the fatal shots were fired . Mental Floss : When a criminal survives execution 2 . Noor Inayat Khan Khan was born in 1914 and at a young age moved with her family first to England and then to France . In 1940 , Khan , along with her mother and sister , escaped back to England just before France surrendered to Germany . While in England she joined the Women 's Auxiliary Air Force -LRB- WAAF -RRB- , but her ability to speak fluent French soon caught the attention of the Special Operations group and Khan agreed to become a spy . Khan was flown to Le Mans , where she teamed up with other female spies and traveled to Paris , France . There they joined the French Resistance Prosper Network . Soon after their arrival , the network was infiltrated and many were arrested . Khan was ordered to return to England , but instead she stayed on and continued to pass information on to England . Eventually she was arrested again and interrogated by the Gestapo . When she refused to speak , she was sent to a prison in Germany and then to the Dachau concentration camp . On September 13 , 1944 , Khan and three other female British spies were executed by the Nazi SS . In 1949 , Khan was posthumously awarded the George Cross . 3 . Belle Boyd -LRB- aka `` La Belle Rebelle '' -RRB- Born Isabelle Boyd in Martinsburg , Virginia , in 1844 , the beautiful Belle soon became the star attraction in Washington , D.C. , social circles prior to the beginning of the Civil War . With the outbreak of the war , she returned to Martinsburg . When the Union soldiers occupied the city , Belle mixed with the officers and soon gathered information on troop movements , which she passed on to the Confederate forces . However , she is probably best known for warning Stonewall Jackson that the Union intended to blow up all the bridges around Martinsburg . With this information , Jackson , with a small number of troops , was able to surprise the Union troops and drive them from the area . In 1864 , Confederate president Jefferson Davis asked Belle to carry letters for him to England . The Union Navy captured her ship , but the officer in charge fell in love with Belle and let her escape . The officer , Lieutenant Samuel Harding Jr. , after being courtmartialed and discharged from the Navy , traveled to England , where he married Belle . After the war , Boyd toured the United States as an actress under the stage name of La Belle Rebelle . 4 . Elizabeth Van Lew Crazy Bet , as she was known , was born in Richmond , Virginia , in 1818 but educated at a Quaker school in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . After developing a hatred for slavery , Elizabeth returned to Richmond and freed all her family 's slaves . She also went so far as finding where her freed slaves ' relatives were and purchased and freed them also . After the Civil War started , Elizabeth asked to visit Union prisoners being held captive in Richmond . The Union prisoners gave her information , which she then passed on to the North . Among the slaves she freed was Mary Elizabeth Bowser , whom Van Lew got a job as a house servant in the home of Jefferson Davis . This allowed Bowser and Van Lew to collect and pass on information directly from the Confederate president 's mansion . Elizabeth effectively used the Crazy Bet moniker to make the residents of Richmond think she was mentally ill . She would wear old clothes and bonnets and talk to herself . Because of this , most people thought that her Northern sympathies were just a part of her craziness . Mental Floss : Confederacy 's plan to conquer Latin America After the war , President Grant named Elizabeth the postmaster for Richmond . When the citizens of Richmond found out that Crazy Bet was an act , they shunned her . However , at her death , the state of Massachusetts placed a memorial marker on her grave . 5 . Sarah Emma Edmonds -LRB- or Was It Frank Thompson ? -RRB- Born in 1841 in New Brunswick , Canada , Sarah ran away from home in her early teens . In order to survive she became an itinerant Bible salesman , by calling herself Frank Thompson and dressing like a man . In 1861 , Frank -LRB- Sarah -RRB- enlisted in the Second Michigan Infantry and over the next two years not only fought in a number of Civil War battles , but also served as a spy for the Union Army . Solders in her unit called Frank `` our woman '' because of his feminine mannerisms and his extremely small boot size . However , none of her comrades ever figured out that Frank was really Sarah . Mental Floss : Celebrity or look-alike ? This boded well for her spying , where she dressed as a young boy serving in Confederate camps , as an immigrant Irish peddler and , most interestingly , as a woman . In 1863 , Sarah caught malaria and deserted the army out of fear that hospitalization would reveal her true identity . In 1884 , though , Sarah applied for and was awarded a veteran 's pension in which the secretary of war acknowledged that Sarah was a female soldier who had rendered faithful services to the ranks . For more mental_floss articles , visit mentalfloss.com", "question": "What was the fate of Mata Hari ?", "answer": "executed by a firing squad on October 15 , 1917"}, {"story_text": "HOUSTON , Texas -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- On the tape , Sheikh Issa bin Zayed al Nahyan appears to burn with rage . Sheikh Issa bin Zayed al Nahyan , pictured here , allegedly tortured a business associate on videotape . Believing he was cheated in a business deal , the member of the United Arab Emirates ruling family was trying to extract a confession from an Afghan grain dealer . With a private security officer assisting , Sheikh Issa bin Zayed al Nahyan is seen stuffing sand in the Afghan 's mouth . As the grain dealer pleads and whimpers , he is beaten with a nailed board , burned in the genitals with a cigarette lighter , shocked with a cattle prod , and led to believe he would be shot . Salt is poured on his wounds . In the end , the victim can muster up only weak moans as an SUV is repeatedly driven over him . The 45 minutes of torture appears on a nearly three-hour-long videotape shot in late 2004 in the desert outside Abu Dhabi , one of the United Arab Emirates in the Persian Gulf region . It was made at the direction of the sheikh himself . The tape has been viewed by CNN . Now the tape has surfaced as a piece of evidence in a federal civil suit filed in Houston , Texas , against the sheikh by his former business partner , Bassam Nabulsi . As media , U.S. governmental and human rights questions and concerns emerged , Abu Dhabi 's government on Tuesday issued a statement saying it deplored the contents of the video and plans an immediate and comprehensive review of it . Nabulsi , a Lebanese-born U.S. citizen living in Houston , says he met Sheikh Issa when the royal came to Houston for medical care in 1994 . Watch portions of the tape and Nabulsi tell his story '' According to Nabulsi , the men became friends and business partners , and Sheikh Issa eventually recruited Nabulsi to move to Abu Dhabi to work for him . `` We were buddies , '' said Nabulsi , who met with CNN journalists in Houston . `` He gave me his personal vow . He swore to look after my family in case something happened to me . '' The sheikh , who holds no official government position , is the half-brother of the country 's ruler . In the lawsuit , Nabulsi says was disturbed by the sheikh 's `` increasingly bizarre behavior '' after the November 2004 death of his father , UAE ruler Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al Nahyan . Nabulsi 's lawsuit says that Sheikh Issa 's father `` kept tight control over Sheikh Issa '' but after the father 's death , he `` apparently no longer felt constrained . '' Nabulsi claims he confronted his business partner about the Afghan 's treatment , telling him that to do such a thing he `` must not be a God-fearing person . '' Nabulsi says his boldness prompted the sheikh to turn on him . Later , Nabulsi was arrested on drug charges . Security officers working for the sheikh ransacked his home and demanded the torture video , Nabulsi claimed . By this point , the tape -- shot by Nabulsi 's brother at the order of the sheikh -- had been smuggled out of the country . According to an affidavit , Nabulsi 's brother worked for Sheikh Issa as a personal assistant . In 2005 , Nabulsi was arrested , jailed and ultimately convicted on drug charges . And , he said , he was tortured and humiliated by UAE police , who demanded he return the tape . `` It was a lot of humiliation , '' Nabulsi told CNN . `` And I really do n't like to talk about it . '' Nabulsi was fined and deported . Darryl Bristow , the sheikh 's Houston attorney , argued in court papers that American courts have no jurisdiction over his client . In a statement to CNN , Bristow said Nabulsi is using the videotape of a third party , Nabulsi 's brother , to influence the court over a business dispute . `` The public should know that the man behind the camera was Bassam Nabulsi 's brother and that Bassam Nabulsi kept the video from the media while his lawyer was asking for money . What do you call that where you come from ? '' Bristow asked . Nabulsi 's attorney denied wrongdoing . The Houston case languished in the U.S. court system after it was filed in 2006 but it eventually moved forward when the sheikh 's personal assistant was served with court papers last year . Nabulsi 's attorney , Anthony Buzbee , said he has deposed the sheikh , but the deposition is under seal . The case was filed in Houston because the Sheikh Issa-Nabulsi business partnership was formed and focused in Texas and `` claims at issue in this case arose out of contacts within Texas . '' Nabulsi claims breaches of contract and fiduciary duty . He wants $ 80 million he says is owed to him from their business relationship . He also wants to be awarded punitive damages for torture , intentional infliction of emotional distress , and malicious prosecution . Initially , the UAE Interior Ministry said Sheikh Issa `` does not hold any official position '' in the government and that Nabulsi 's lawsuit is `` a private dispute . '' Asked about the torture allegations , the UAE said it investigated and found '' ... all rules , policies and procedures were followed correctly by the police department . The review also concluded that the incidents depicted in the videotapes were not part of a pattern of behavior . '' The shocking case has made waves recently as news organizations asked about the tape . U.S. senior officials familiar with the case say the administration is holding off sending a nuclear deal with the United Arab Emirates to Congress for ratification because they fear a fallout from the torture story . Congress has to ratify the civil nuclear agreement signed in January between the Bush administration and the UAE . Those senior U.S. officials said the agreement was supposed to be sent to the Senate , but Secretary of State Hillary Clinton held off doing so because of the story 's sensitivity . One American lawmaker , Rep. James McGovern , D-Massachusetts , asked Clinton to investigate and that all `` expenditures of funds , training , sales or transfers of equipment or technology , including nuclear '' to the UAE be put on hold until the matter is reviewed . He also wants the United States to deny any visas for travel by Sheikh Issa or his immediate family . `` I think we have an obligation to say we want to step back a bit and look at this a little more closely , '' said McGovern , co-chairman of the congressional human rights commission . He promised hearings on the issue , probing the case and how the U.S. Embassy in the UAE handled it . `` I am not going to let it go away , '' McGovern said . Human Rights Watch , the humanitarian watchdog group , is calling for the United Arab Emirates to `` investigate and prosecute '' the grain dealer 's torture . With media questions about the tape mounting , Abu Dhabi said on Wednesday it decided to renew its inquiries -- more than four years after the incident . As for the grain dealer , UAE officials say he survived the ordeal , and said the sheikh and the grain dealer settled the matter privately by agreeing not to bring formal charges against the other . How much money was the grain dealer accused of stealing from the sheikh ? `` It 's nothing , '' Nabulsi said . `` No more than about $ 5,000 . '' CNN 's Scott Bronstein , Drew Griffin , Stan Grant , Elise Labott , Octavia Nasr , and Joe Sterling contributed to this report .", "question": "How much money does Nabulsi say the sheikh owes him ?", "answer": "He wants $ 80 million"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The crib in Ellen Darcy 's Boston home has sat empty for more than a year . And in suburban Washington , Laura Teresinski has prepared a nursery for a baby that may never arrive . Guatemala has announced it will conduct a case-by-case review of every pending foreign adoption case . They and thousands of prospective parents , eager to adopt children from abroad , have found themselves in an emotional legal limbo since two of the most popular countries for international adoptions -- Guatemala and Vietnam -- recently halted their programs . Now would-be mothers and fathers around the United States wonder what will become of their quest to adopt a child -- a pursuit that can fray nerves , cost up to $ 30,000 and span several years . Guatemala announced this month that it would conduct a case-by-case review of every pending foreign adoption case . That put on hold the adoption plans of about 2,000 American families . The crackdown comes amid reports that some in Guatemala coerce mothers to relinquish their children for adoption -- or steal the children outright and present them as orphans . Similar accusations have arisen in Vietnam . After the United States accused adoption agencies there of corruption and baby-selling , Vietnam said in April that it would no longer allow adoptions to the United States . `` My husband and I were absolutely devastated , '' Teresinski said . `` Adoptive parents have put a lot of emotional energy and a lot of financial resources in the process . '' Vietnam 's decision affects several hundred families . Families in the United States adopted 4,728 children from Guatemala and 828 from Vietnam last year . The halt in adoptions from those two nations unfolds against the backdrop of a dramatic rise in international adoptions in the United States . The number of foreign-born children adopted by U.S. families more than tripled from 1990 to 2004 , when it reached a high of 22,884 , though the figure has declined slightly each year since . In 2007 , the U.S. granted visas to 19,613 children so they could join an adoptive family in the United States , according to U.S. State Department figures . About 70 percent of those children came from four countries : China , Guatemala , Russia and Ethiopia . A few other countries have also halted foreign adoptions at various times , including Kazakhstan and Togo . Yet the suspensions in Vietnam and Guatemala have had the biggest impact -- they 're two of the 10 countries that send the most children to adoptive homes in the Unites States . Fear of fraud stirs heartache For Darcy , the review seems more detrimental than helpful . Her adopted daughter , Carolina , remains in a Guatemalan foster home with three dozen other babies . Darcy worries that keeping Carolina , now 15 months old , in a foster home will harm her early development . `` She 's not getting one-on-one care by a consistent caretaker , '' Darcy said , adding later , `` Nobody is looking at this as a violation of the kids ' human rights except for these -LRB- American -RRB- parents . '' Guatemala , which until now has had little to no oversight of its foreign adoptions , has the highest per capita rate of adoption in the world . Nearly one in 100 babies born in Guatemala wind up living with adoptive parents in the United States , according to the U.S. consulate in Guatemala . While adoptive parents in the United States undergo rigorous screening , adoptions in Guatemala had been processed by notaries responsible for determining whether the babies were relinquished voluntarily . They also arrange foster care and handle paperwork -- notaries in Latin America tend to have more legal training than notaries in the United States . Both Guatemalan and U.S. officials fear the system leads to practices such as paying birth mothers for children or , in some instances , coercion . Officials in both countries say gaps in regulations and the high sums of money at play -- adoptions can cost up to $ 30,000 -- may have created unintended incentives in a country where the State Department estimates that 80 percent of the population lives in poverty . The Guatemalan government has said its review could take a month or longer . As for the American families , they can only wait . `` I think it 's overkill , '' said Darcy , who was matched with Carolina last March and was approved to adopt the girl last winter -- typically one of the last steps before the actual adoption is complete . `` No adoptive parent wants to adopt an abducted child -- a child that was n't voluntarily relinquished -- but to keep them as hostages is unacceptable , '' Darcy said . Guatemala plans reforms U.S. officials say they sympathize with the parents , but that reviews like the one in Guatemala are in the best interest of the children . `` We feel for them , it 's a tough situation , '' said a State Department official who is not authorized to speak on the record . '' -LRB- But -RRB- they 'll have the comfort of knowing American parents in the future who adopt from Guatemala will get children from a system that has all the safeguards in place so that children are not exploited , '' the official said . In the past , Guatemala required birth mothers to sign a document in court saying they were relinquishing their child . They were not required to reveal their reasons . Now the government may require the presence of the birth mother and child . The goal is to verify identification and make sure the mother is giving up her child voluntarily . Cleaning up Guatemala 's adoption system is a step toward complying with the standards of the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption , an international agreement that governs adoptions from one country to another . About 70 nations have signed the convention , which seeks to ensure legitimate foreign adoptions . The United States joined the international convention last year , and rules governing adoptions from one signatory nation to another took effect April 1 . The United States has stopped issuing visas to Guatemalan children after that date , blocking their travel to America -- at least until concerns are addressed . `` We 're not pointing fingers at American parents , '' the State Department official said . However , the review and changes in Guatemala will ensure that it `` does not become a fertile ground for -LRB- wrongful -RRB- practices on any person , particularly children , who have not been orphaned . '' To offset corruption , the U.S. Embassy has added its own requirement : That birth mothers appear with the baby to request a visa for the baby . In August , officials also began requiring two DNA tests to confirm the identities of mother and child . Still , the Guatemalan solicitor general 's office has identified at least 80 cases of adoption irregularities , including baby stealing and false DNA tests . And the Guatemalan chief prosecutor 's office recently launched a criminal investigation into the two laboratories contracted to take DNA samples from birth mothers and children . ` Serious irregularities ' in Vietnam Similar concerns of corruption recently emerged in Vietnam , where investigators had found `` serious adoption irregularities , '' according to a report by the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi . Documents had been forged or altered , the embassy said , and some parents were paid , tricked or forced into giving up their children for adoption . In some cases , the embassy said , children were offered for adoption without the knowledge or permission of their parents . The Vietnamese government has denied the accusations . Even so , it said in April that it would terminate its adoption agreement with the United States , saying it wo n't accept applications after July 1 . The program is scheduled to end September 1 . Parents in the United States who were matched with an adoptive child in Vietnam before July 1 will be allowed to adopt that child . Prospective parents who had invested time and money , but had not been matched with an adoptive child , appear to be out of luck . Private adoption agencies insist that nearly all adoptions from Vietnam are problem-free , and they want the adoptions to continue . `` It 's hard to let go , because we know we can advocate for these children and make a real difference , '' said Linda Brownlee , executive director of the nonprofit Adoption Center of Washington , which places children for adoption from Russia , China , Cambodia and Vietnam . She hopes the United States and Vietnam reach an agreement so that adoptions can continue . `` Without it , I think children are going to be harmed . They are going to die needlessly , and there is going to be trafficking , '' Brownlee said .", "question": "Who adopts the babies born in Guatemala ?", "answer": "Families in the United States"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A major winter storm walloped the Northeast on Friday , a day after heavy snow closed schools and roads and caused dangerous conditions . The storm knocked out power to nearly 240,000 homes and businesses in New York , New Jersey and Pennsylvania , slowed traffic and could prompt authorities to cancel up to 1,000 flights at airports serving New York and New Jersey . The storm also frustrated people such as Lulis Leal , a medical office manager who was working from her home in Cedar Grove , New Jersey . She was planning to help her son move into an apartment when she peered out the window Friday morning to see her car covered in snow . `` I ca n't even move it out of my driveway , '' she said . `` The snow is up over my knee . '' She ventured out amid the snow Thursday , saw several wrecks and added a half-hour to her trip by avoiding a snow-covered hill . `` It 's very pretty to look at , but it 's like , come on , enough already , '' she said . `` I 'm very much looking forward to spring . '' The rough weather prompted officials to suspend bus service in northern New Jersey . About 225,000 homes and businesses were without power Friday in New York , said Jim Denn of the New York State Public Service Commission . The storm left 10,638 homes and businesses without power in New Jersey and knocked out electrical services to about 3,000 homes and businesses in Pennsylvania , officials in those states said . A snow-covered tree limb fell Thursday in New York 's Central Park and killed a 46-year-old man . The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation warned residents to stay out of city parks after the death . Forecasters said parts of New York state could get up to a foot of snow , and public schools were closed Friday in New York City . `` The heavy , wet snow will be sufficient to bring down trees and power lines and could also cause roof collapses , '' the National Weather Service said . The storm is the third to hit the region this month . Early Friday , American Airlines had canceled 42 flights out of New York , a spokeswoman said . Delta Air Lines canceled 300 flights from airports in New York and Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . U.S. Airways had canceled 80 flights from airports in and around New York , a spokesman said . Steve Coleman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said authorities expect roughly 1,000 flights to be canceled from the three major airports serving New York and parts of New Jersey . More cancellations were expected for other airlines Friday , according to airport officials . The storm prompted the cancellation of more than 1,000 flights at New York-area airports Thursday , said Port Authority spokesman John Kelly . Buried in snow ? Send pictures , video Parts of New York had received from 22 to 30 inches of snow by Thursday evening , the weather service said . Massachusetts was averaging 22 inches across the state . Parts of Pennsylvania had as much as 12 inches . Areas in Vermont received as much as 38 inches of snow . For some , any more snow was just too much . `` I 've just been shoveling , '' a weary man told CNN affiliate WBRE-TV in Wilkes-Barre , Pennsylvania . `` And it looks like I 'll be doing some more shoveling . '' CNN 's Emily Anderson and Mark Bixler contributed to this report .", "question": "How much snow was expected in parts of New York ?", "answer": "up to a foot"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Iceland 's voters overwhelmingly rejected a deal to pay billions of dollars it owes to the United Kingdom and the Netherlands , the Foreign Ministry said Sunday . With around 90 percent of votes counted , just over 93 percent said no and just under 2 percent said yes . Not enough votes remain to be counted to change the result . Some 62.5 percent of Iceland 's roughly 200,000 register voters cast ballots , the ministry said . The referendum was on a law about repaying the Netherlands and UK , which helped savers in their own countries who lost money in a failed Icelandic Internet bank . The British and Dutch governments came up with more than $ 5 billion for bailing out people who lost money in Icesave -- an online retail bank branch of Landsbanki . That Icelandic bank failed in October 2008 , along with two other banks in the country . Under a European Union directive , Iceland now owes compensation to Britain and the Netherlands . The Icelandic government has said it will honor its international obligations . Iceland 's parliament passed a bill authorizing a state guarantee for repayment of the funds , but President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson declined to sign it in January . He cited public disapproval , and in particular , an Internet petition signed by up to one-quarter of the electorate , as a reason for not signing the bill . He said there needed to be a national consensus in addressing the issue . That prompted Saturday 's national referendum on the law . The Icelandic public widely disapproved of the deal , the government said in a fact sheet on the deal . `` There is widespread frustration over the claim on ordinary citizens in Iceland to pay the price for the irresponsible behavior of reckless bankers , '' it said . Magnus Arni Skulason , who campaigned against the bill , called the terms of the loan repayment unacceptable . `` Of course we feel empathy for those people that lost money , '' he said Saturday while voting was going on . `` We just want to get a more reasonable agreement , '' he told CNN . It is not clear what happens now that voters have said no to the loan guarantees . The International Monetary Fund loaned Iceland $ 2.1 billion in November , and said repaying the money to the British and Dutch governments was a requirement of the loan . Iceland has begun moves toward applying for European Union membership , which Britain and the Netherlands could block . Britain spent # 2.3 billion -LRB- $ 3.69 billion -RRB- last year to cover the losses that British savers incurred when Icelandic banks collapsed . The Dutch government spent $ 1.3 billion -LRB- $ 1.87 billion -RRB- to cover bank losses in the country . The Icelandic government said it has `` clearly stated its intention to honor its international obligations and remains fully committed to implementing the bilateral loan agreements with the UK and the Netherlands . ''", "question": "Who does Iceland owe compensation to ?", "answer": "United Kingdom and the Netherlands"}, {"story_text": "Beijing , China -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- China and the United States , the largest producers of greenhouse gases , will team up to fight climate change and create clean energy , their leaders said Tuesday . Chinese President Hu Jintao and President Obama said their nations will cooperate to advance technologies and work toward a global agreement on reducing carbon emissions . `` As the two largest consumers and producers of energy , there can be no solution to this challenge without the efforts of both China and the United States , '' Obama said . `` That is why we 've agreed to a series of important new initiatives in this area . '' What would you ask Obama ? Share your question for CNN 's interview After Tuesday 's meeting , Hu told reporters , `` We agreed to expand our cooperation on climate change , energy and environment , '' which includes developing a China-U.S. clean energy research center . The declaration by Hu and Obama comes ahead of next month 's U.N. Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen , Denmark , and follows recent acknowledgment by the world 's top economic powers , including the U.S. , that there 's no hope of a major breakthrough on climate change by year 's end . The U.S. president said the two leaders want to accelerate the world toward a pact to cut greenhouse gases . The leaders did not offer a time frame , however . `` Our aim ... is not a partial accord or a political declaration , '' Obama said , `` but rather an accord that covers all of the issues in the negotiations and one that has immediate operational affect . `` This kind of comprehensive agreement would be an important step forward in the effort to rally the world around a solution to our climate challenge . '' Instead of reaching a final deal in Copenhagen , a strategy dubbed `` one agreement , two steps '' was unveiled at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum summit over the weekend in Singapore . The aim is to produce a pact over a longer period . The first step would be to have all 191 countries involved in the Copenhagen summit signing on to a framework that includes key ingredients , such as how to finance the coordinated effort to battle climate change . The second step , a binding deal on cutting carbon emissions , would be hashed out in further negotiations . `` Opportunity is knocking . It is up to you to open the door , '' U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement Monday . `` We must seize this opportunity to create a safer and more prosperous future for all , to reduce the emissions that are causing climate change and to help the most vulnerable adapt to impacts that are already under way . '' Like the United States and China , APEC and Group of 20 leaders -- the world 's leading economies -- have pledged to drive toward a climate-change agreement in Copenhagen . The conference , set to begin December 7 , aims to strike a deal on a successor agreement to the Kyoto Protocol , the 1997 pact that has legally binding targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions . The United States never ratified it , though more than 200 other nations did .", "question": "Which two countries produce the most greenhouse gases ?", "answer": "China and the United States"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- For years , Alfonso Torress-Cook followed the rules in his quest to eliminate hospital-acquired infections . Patients at his hospital received large doses of antibiotics and were scrubbed down with alcohol-based soaps , as he and his colleagues aimed to kill every bacterium possible . Search and destroy was the mantra . By upending conventional wisdom , Alfonso Torress-Cook was able to slash hospital-acquired infection rates . Still , patients became sick with bacterial infections after checking in . Some died . `` I never saw anything change . I saw things getting worse , '' Torress-Cook said . Torress-Cook eventually joined Pacific Hospital of Long Beach , in California , where as director of epidemiology and patient safety , he changed the rules and slashed the number of patients who become infected . Torress-Cook is part of a growing movement in medicine that no longer accepts hospital-acquired infections as inevitable complications . Every year , such infections sicken 1.7 million and kill 99,000 people in the United States . At Pacific Hospital , Torress-Cook does n't go after all bacteria , just the dangerous ones . The staff members at the 184-bed hospital use antibiotics sparingly , feed patients yogurt to replenish healthy bacteria in the gut and bathe patients daily , using a soap that maintains the natural pH of the patient 's skin , killing only bacteria that do n't belong there . Meet some of the people fighting hospital-acquired infections '' Torress-Cook is also obsessive about hygiene : Nurses clean under patients ' fingernails and brush their teeth daily . He also enlisted the hospital 's cleaning crew as part of the infection-fighting team . Rooms receive a thorough cleaning every day -- more than simply emptying the trash and mopping the floor , he says . Under Torress-Cook , Pacific Hospital 's infection rate for the so-called superbug MRSA is down to 0.01 per 1,000 discharges , 430 times better than the national average . Approximately one out of every 22 patients who checks into a U.S. hospital acquires a bacterial infection , adding more than $ 28 billion to health care costs , according to a 2009 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . But there are signs of improvement . Pennsylvania , which requires the most extensive reporting of hospital-acquired infections , saw the annual rate for all infections drop 8 percent , according to the most recent figures available from the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council . And there are other signs of progress . The development and use of a simple checklist for a common procedure that threads a so-called central line to supply medicine directly to the bloodstream has been extraordinarily effective . The checklist made central line infections almost nonexistent at the 108 intensive care units in Michigan that adopted it . More than 1,700 lives -- and $ 246 million -- were saved in the first three years the checklist was adopted , according to the state hospital association . The checklist is now being adopted in all 50 states and three countries : the United Kingdom , Spain and Peru , says checklist designer Dr. Peter Pronovost , from Johns Hopkins University and Hospitals . At hospitals large and small , raising the head of the bed for patients on ventilators , brushing patients ' teeth and taking other precautions have dramatically reduced ventilator-associated pneumonia , another common and costly infection . Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids , Minnesota , has used these techniques to cut its ventilator-associated pneumonia rate by more than half , to 2.7 cases per 1,000 ventilator days . `` Our goal is zero , '' says Michelle Farber , a registered nurse who is Mercy 's senior infection preventionist . Simply requiring hospitals to report their infections has forced them to be more accountable to their patients , says Lisa McGiffert , who heads Consumers Union 's Stop Hospital Infections campaign , which among other things has pushed for more transparency . Twenty-six states now have laws requiring hospitals to report rates for urinary tract and other infections . Paul Levy , CEO of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston , Massachusetts , is a big fan of publishing infection rates . He puts the hospital 's rates on its Web site and on his blog . Simply putting the spotlight on hospital-acquired infections keeps the staff focused , he says . Hospitals also have a new financial incentive to cut infections . As of October 1 , 2008 , Medicare no longer pays hospitals for the added costs incurred by patients who develop catheter-related urinary tract infections and other catheter - or surgery-related infections . McGiffert says there 's been a cultural shift in the past five years . `` I think it 's moving us toward eradication of infection or at least where infections are rare and will not be accepted , '' she says .", "question": "What amount do hospital-acquired infections add to health care annually ?", "answer": "more than $ 28 billion"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Mychal Bell , a black teenager accused of beating a white classmate and who was the last of the `` Jena 6 '' behind bars , was released from custody Thursday after a juvenile court judge set his bail at $ 45,000 . Supporters surround Mychal Bell on Thursday after his release at the LaSalle Parish courthouse . Bell 's release followed an announcement from LaSalle Parish District Attorney Reed Walters , who said he would not appeal a higher court 's decision moving Bell 's case to juvenile court . Wearing a blue striped golf shirt and jeans , Bell walked out of the LaSalle Parish courthouse a week after an estimated 15,000-plus demonstrators marched through Jena -- a town of about 3,000 -- to protest local authorities ' handling of the teens ' case . `` We do not condone violence of any kind , but we ask that people be given a fair and even chance at the bar of justice , '' the Rev. Al Sharpton said outside the courthouse . `` Tonight , Mychal can go home , but Mychal is not out of the juvenile process . He goes home because a lot of people left their home and stood up for him , '' he said . `` Let America know -- we are not fighting for the right to fight in school . We 're not fighting for the right for kids to beat each other . We 're fighting to say that there must be one level of justice for everybody . And you can not have adult attempted murder for some , and a fine for others , and call that equal protection under the law . Two wrongs do n't make one civil right . '' Demonstrators at last week 's march were protesting how authorities handled the cases of Bell and five other teens accused of beating fellow student Justin Barker . Many said they were angry that the students , dubbed the Jena 6 , were being treated more harshly than three white students who hung nooses from an oak tree on Jena High School property . The white students were suspended from school but did not face criminal charges . The protesters said they should have been charged with a hate crime . Bell 's attorney Lewis Scott said the teen was moved from jail to a juvenile facility earlier Thursday . Walters said his decision not to appeal was based on what he believed was best for the victim in the case . `` While I believe that a review would have merit ... I believe it is in the best interest of the victim and his family not to delay this matter any further and move it to its conclusion , '' Walters told reporters . Watch the Rev. Al Sharpton discuss the teen 's release '' He said last week 's march , which included Sharpton and Martin Luther King III , did not influence his decision . Bell , now 17 , was the only one of the Jena 6 behind bars . His bond previously was set at $ 90,000 . A district judge earlier this month tossed out Bell 's conviction for conspiracy to commit second-degree battery , saying the matter should have been handled in juvenile court . The 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal in Lake Charles , Louisiana , did the same with Bell 's battery conviction in mid-September . Prosecutors originally charged all six black students accused of being involved in beating Barker with second-degree attempted murder and conspiracy . Walters reduced charges against at least four of them -- Bell , Robert Bailey Jr. , Carwin Jones and Theo Shaw -- to battery and conspiracy . Bryant Purvis awaits arraignment . Charges against Jesse Ray Beard , who was 14 at the time of the alleged crime , are unavailable because he 's a juvenile . Wednesday , Gov. Kathleen Blanco announced that Louisiana State Police officers will protect the families of the Jena 6 and investigate any threats they have received . A white supremacist Web site posted the names and addresses of the six black teens after last week 's march , calling on followers to `` let them know justice is coming . '' Thursday , the FBI said it had been made aware of allegations of threats . `` Threats are taken seriously , and as these investigations are ongoing we can not comment further , '' said Sheila Thorne of the FBI 's office in New Orleans , Louisiana . The December 4 attack on Barker came after months of racial tension , including at least two instances of fighting in the town , sparked originally when three white teens hung the nooses . Walters has said there was no direct link between the hanging of the nooses and the schoolyard attack , and defended the prosecutions ahead of last Thursday 's peaceful march . Blanco defended the prosecutor Wednesday , saying , `` He has a solid record and is highly respected among his peers . '' Walters also addressed the stress and notoriety the town has been subjected to , saying the only way he and other residents `` have been able to endure the trauma that has been thrust upon us is through the prayers of the Christian people who have sent them up in this community . '' He also suggested that some kind of `` disaster '' was averted when thousands of marchers came to Jena last week . `` I firmly believe and am confident of the fact that had it not been for the direct intervention of the Lord Jesus Christ last Thursday , a disaster would have happened , '' Walters said . `` The Lord Jesus Christ put his influence on those people , and they responded accordingly , '' he said , without explaining exactly what he meant . Soon after the district attorney spoke , a local reverend took issue with his comments . `` Obviously , we are serving two different gods here , '' the Rev. Donald Sidley said . `` My Bible says that we should do -- we should be loving , love your neighbor as yourself . `` For him to try and separate the community like he is and then using Christ Jesus to influence the people that Jesus is working on their side , well , that 's -- that 's absurd . ... God is god of the human race , '' said Sidley , of the New Evergreen Church . E-mail to a friend", "question": "what was the charge", "answer": "second-degree attempted murder and conspiracy"}, {"story_text": "NAIROBI , Kenya -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Iran 's trial of more than 100 people who it has linked to post-election unrest is a `` sign of weakness '' and shows that the Islamic republic `` is afraid of its own people , '' U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told CNN Thursday . Iran is `` afraid of the truth and the facts coming out , '' Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said . `` It is a show trial , there 's no doubt about it , '' Clinton told CNN 's Fareed Zakaria in a wide-ranging interview to be broadcast on his `` GPS '' program Sunday . `` It demonstrates I think better than any of us could ever say that this Iranian leadership is afraid of their own people , and afraid of the truth and the facts coming out . '' Clinton spoke to Zakaria during her visit to Africa . Those on trial include Newsweek reporter Maziar Bahari , who has dual citizenship in Iran and Canada , and Kian Tajbakhsh , an Iranian-American scholar . The trial , which began over the weekend , is scheduled to resume Saturday , according to Iran 's semi-official Fars News Agency . This week , the State Department issued a statement expressing deep concern for Tajbakhsh . `` Given that the charges facing Mr. Tajbakhsh are without foundation , we call on Iran 's leadership to release Mr. Tajbakhsh without delay , '' State Department spokesman Robert Wood said Tuesday , reading a prepared statement . `` He has played absolutely no role in the election and poses no threat to the Iranian government or its national security . '' Wood said Tajbakhsh has not been provided an attorney , which he is entitled to , and warned Iran that `` the world is watching what is happening in Iran and will bear witness . '' Speaking on Thursday , Clinton said the United States also has `` expressed our concern about Mr. Bahari 's confinement and trial '' to Canada 's government , and offered its help . All of those on trial in Iran -- who include Iranian journalists and supporters of the opposition -- have been charged for their alleged roles in protests that followed last month 's disputed presidential election . The June 12 election gave President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a second term in office , but it also sparked a massive opposition movement that has regularly protested against the Iranian leadership and has shaken the foundation of Iran 's Islamic theocracy . Those on trial will be placed into three categories , according to Fars : the `` plotters , intriguers , and planners of the riots '' ; `` the antagonists and those affiliated to foreign services '' ; and `` the opportunists , hooligans , and hoodlums who set ablaze , or destroyed private and public properties , and those that have had hands in disturbing public security . ''", "question": "Maziar Bahari is a duel citizen of what two countries ?", "answer": "Iran and Canada"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Hundreds of South Koreas were left in limbo after North Korea shut its borders Monday at the start of joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea . U.S. troops have started joint military exercises with their South Korean counterparts . When Pyongyang took the action , 573 South Koreans were staying at the Kaesong industrial complex , north of the demilitarized zone , South Korea 's Yonhap news agency reported . Many of the stranded South Koreans work at the complex , which is a joint project between the Koreas . `` The South Korean government is closely monitoring the situation and preparing for all contingencies , '' said Kim Ho-nyun , a South Korean Unification Ministry spokesman . `` We emphasize that currently the first priority is the safety of our citizens . '' Eighty South Koreans had applied to cross the border into South Korea on Monday , Kim said , but had not been cleared to do so . `` We are also not certain what will happen to the South Koreans that want to cross tomorrow as well , '' he said . The cross-border developments came as North Korea said it would retaliate if a `` satellite '' launch from its northeastern coast were intercepted , with the communist nation saying interference would `` mean a war . '' `` Shooting our satellite for peaceful purposes will precisely mean a war , '' a spokesman for the North Korean army said in a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency -LRB- KCNA -RRB- . U.S. and South Korean officials have said that North Korea appears to be preparing to test-fire its long-range missile , the Taepodong-2 , under the guise of launching a satellite into space . The missile is thought to have an intended range of about 6,700 kilometers -LRB- 4,200 miles -RRB- , which -- if true -- could give it the capability of striking Alaska or Hawaii . North Korea 's bellicose announcement came on the first day of annual joint military drills between South Korea and the United States . `` We have said several times that the U.S.-South Korean military exercises are annual defensive exercises , '' Kim said . `` We again urge North Korea to maintain the agreed stance of mutual respect and to stop its verbal attacks and actions that are raising tensions on the Korean peninsula , '' he said . The North said it has shut its borders to `` any enemies '' and has cut off `` the North-South military communications in order to guarantee the security . '' North Korea said the military phone lines with the South , the last remaining communications channel , will remain closed until the 12-day military exercises end on March 20 , according to Yonhap . Kim said his government is urging North Korea `` to immediately retract this measure and to allow the smooth flow of personnel and communication . '' On Saturday , U.S. envoy Stephen Bosworth said he wants dialogue with North Korea , but he also spoke against North Korea 's move to go forward with a launch , saying it would be `` ill-advised . ''", "question": "Who is staying at Kaesong industrial complex ?", "answer": "573 South Koreans"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A slaughterhouse that has been accused of mistreating cows agreed Sunday to recall 143 million pounds of beef in what federal officials called the largest beef recall in U.S. history . Officials said this is the largest recall in the United States , surpassing a 1999 recall of 35 million pounds . Keith Williams , a U.S. Department of Agriculture spokesman , said investigators have found no cases of illness related to the recalled meat . But Dick Raymond , the undersecretary of agriculture for food safety , said there was a `` remote probability '' that the meat from the Westland/Hallmark Meat Packing Company in Chino , California , could cause illness in humans . The amount of beef -- 143 million pounds -- is roughly enough for two hamburgers for each man , woman and child in the United States . The largest U.S. meat recall before Sunday came in 1999 , when about 35 million pounds of product possibly contaminated with listeria were ordered off shelves . USDA officials said that was Class I recall , involving a known risk to human health . Sunday 's action was a Class II recall , under which authorities say there is little risk of illness . Raymond said cattle that had lost the ability to walk since passing pre-processing inspections were slaughtered without an inspector having examined them for chronic illness -- a practice he said violated federal regulations and had been going on for at least two years . Watch video of cows being abused '' Federal regulations are aimed at preventing the spread of bovine spongiform encephalopathy , or BSE -- the scientific name for `` mad cow '' disease . It 's important to keep downed cattle out of the food supply because they also may pose a higher risk of contamination from E. coli or salmonella because the animals tend to wallow in feces and have weaker immune systems , according to AP . Raymond said the average age of the cattle involved is 5-7 years , meaning they were likely born long after a 1997 ban on ruminant feed , and that the incidence of BSE in U.S. cattle is `` extremely rare . '' `` We do not know how much of this product is out there at this time . We do not feel this product presents a health risk of any significance , '' he said . `` But the product was produced in non-compliance with our regulations , so therefore we do have to take this action . '' About 37 million pounds of the meat went to school lunch programs and other federal nutrition programs since October 2006 , said Ron Vogel , of the USDA 's Food and Nutrition Service . The recall dates back to February 1 , 2006 , and Raymond said `` the great majority '' of the meat has probably been eaten already . USDA officials have begun tracing the products covered by the recall , he said . `` A lot of this is fresh , raw product and with ground beef , etcetera , that has a very short shelf life and refrigerator life , '' he said . Most of the beef was sent to distribution centers in bulk packages . The USDA said it will work with distributors to determine how much meat remains , the AP reports . In January , the Humane Society of the United States accused Westland/Hallmark of abusing `` downed '' cattle , releasing video that showed workers kicking cows , jabbing them near their eyes , ramming them with a forklift and shooting high-intensity water up their noses in an effort to force them to their feet for slaughter . Federal inspectors halted operations at the plant earlier this month after finding `` clear violations '' of USDA regulations . California prosecutors on Friday announced animal cruelty charges against two former employees of the plant . In a statement issued February 3 , Westland Meat President Steve Mendell said the company was cooperating with the USDA and called the practices depicted in the humane society video as `` a serious breach of our company 's policies and training . '' `` We have taken swift action regarding the two employees identified on the video and have already implemented aggressive measures to ensure all employees follow our humane handling policies and procedures , '' Mendell said . E-mail to a friend CNN 's Jen Pifer contributed to this report .", "question": "Ho much meat went to school lunches ?", "answer": "37 million pounds"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sen. Barack Obama is saddled with a potentially toxic image problem : that he has an elitist attitude . Sen. Barack Obama mingles at the Penn State dairy farm . It has made him a target of attacks from Democratic rival Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. John McCain , the presumed Republican nominee . It 's ironic that one presidential candidate could hang that label on another , said Dr. Drew Westen , professor of psychology and psychiatry at Emory University in Atlanta , Georgia , and author of `` The Political Brain . '' `` If you think you should be president , by definition you are an elitist , only because you believe that of the 300 million people in America , you are the best person to run it , '' he said . `` There ca n't be a more elitist statement than that . '' Obama 's opponents made the elitist charge after the senator from Illinois said some small-town Pennsylvanians are understandably `` bitter '' over the government 's failure to reverse their economic decline and , in their frustration , `` cling to guns and religion . '' He made the statement at a recent fundraiser in San Francisco , California . Watch how Obama is fighting the elitist label '' Obama defended his remarks but said he could have worded them better . Clinton said his comments were `` elitist , out of touch and frankly , patronizing . '' McCain agreed that the remarks were `` elitist . '' Branding a rival elitist is not new in politics . Republicans for years have successfully labeled Democratic presidential candidates as the liberal elite . Portraying their rivals as latte-sipping , sushi-eating insiders , Republicans have connected with some voters by arguing that they understand the values important to the everyday person . `` It 's a little like when politicians charge politicians with being politicians . It has the same feel to it : that if it sticks , it 's because a candidate has n't handled it well , '' Westen said . Republicans painted George W. Bush 's Democratic opponents Al Gore in 2000 and John Kerry in 2004 as elitists who were detached from average Americans , and the strategy worked . How damaging the blow is , Westen said , depends on the target 's response . `` The mistake that Kerry and Gore both made was to let that brand stick to them , '' he said . `` The only question is whether Obama fights it back and offers a different brand for himself than the brand that is starting to be given to him . '' By definition , all the candidates exhibit the aura of elitism , because it 's difficult to get a presidential campaign started without some degree of personal wealth . It 's ironic , Westen said , that of the three standing , the only one who is n't demonstrably wealthy is Obama . Since leaving the White House , the Clintons have earned more than $ 109 million from book sales , speaking engagements , the presidential pension and her Senate salary , among other sources . McCain , whose father and grandfather were Navy admirals , married into wealth . His second wife , Cindy , has a stake in her father 's multimillion-dollar beer distributor company . The Associated Press estimated her worth at more than $ 100 million . Whatever their current financial status , the candidates all like to convey the impression that they are not much different than the people they are trying to persuade to vote for them . Obama , 46 , who graduated from Columbia University and received a law degree from Harvard , often mentions growing up in a single-parent home . He says he and his wife just paid off their school loans in the past five or six years . `` I was n't born into a lot of money . I did n't have a trust fund . I was n't born into fame and fortune . I was raised by a single mother with the help of my grandparents , '' he said . `` My mother had to use food stamps at one point . '' Clinton , who has been reaching out to blue-collar voters with stories of how she learned to shoot a gun in Pennsylvania and photo ops hoisting a shot and a beer , often talks about her middle-class upbringing . Clinton , 60 , went to Wellesley College before attending law school at Yale . After graduation , she advocated for women and children 's rights and became a staff attorney for the Children 's Defense Fund . She later became a partner in a law firm and was twice listed as one of the 100 most influential lawyers in the country . The senator from New York frequently touts her 35 years of public service , including eight as first lady . McCain spent a week traveling around on a `` get-to-know-me '' tour . He talked about how he was a rambunctious child with a chip on his shoulder . McCain , 71 , went to the United States Naval Academy and frequently jokes about finishing at the bottom of his class . After graduation , he spent 22 years as a naval pilot . He was shot down on a bombing mission and spent five years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam . He retired from the Navy in 1981 and , living in Arizona , became a member of the House the next year . He was elected to the Senate in 1986 and is serving his fourth term . Dr. James Twitchell , an author , University of Florida English professor and commentator on American culture , said the whole elitism back-and-forth is `` self-serving nonsense , '' pointing specifically to the similarities in the Democratic contenders ' stories . `` Both senators are members of one of the more elite clubs -LSB- the Senate -RSB- , attended the elite schools -LSB- Harvard , Yale -RSB- and are out for one of the most elite jobs , '' he said . As the candidates get closer to the White House , they get farther away from `` normal life . '' They fight to show they still share the average American 's values , visiting bowling alleys , diners and schools along the way . `` I do think it speaks to one of the conflicts that Americans have about their leaders , which is we want them to be like us , and we want them to be above us at the same time , '' Westen said . `` The issue comes down to two things . One is , do you let your opponent brand you as elite , in which case you are in a lot of trouble in American politics ? And the second is , do you convey clearly to people that you understand them and the world they live in and the problems they face ? '' he said . `` In the case of Barack Obama , my guess is , this is n't going to stick terribly well because he does such a good job of connecting with people that the elitist charge is going to be a harder one to make people feel . '' E-mail to a friend CNN 's Candy Crowley contributed to this report .", "question": "Who has accused Obama of having an elitist attitude ?", "answer": "Hillary Clinton and Sen. John McCain"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Wing Bryan Habana became South Africa 's all-time leading try scorer on Thursday as the Springboks thrashed Namibia 87-0 at the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand . The 28-year-old went over for the reigning world champions in the first half for his 39th Test try -- his first since a score against Italy in June 2010 -- to move clear of previous record-holder Joost van der Westhuizen . The two-time World Cup winners registered 11 other tries to extend their winning run at the four-yearly tournament to 10 matches , and also condemn Namibia to elimination at the pool stage for the fourth competition in a row . South Africa 's comprehensive victory also secured an unwanted record for Namibia , who suffered a 14th successive World Cup defeat -- the worst run in the tournament 's 24-year history . After an error-ridden first half , the Springboks scored six tries in the final 20 minutes in only their second encounter with their African neighbors following a 105-13 romp in a warm-up game four years ago . `` The first 40 minutes we had a few bad habits which happens as you often get different types of opposition at the World Cup , '' winning captain John Smit told the tournament website . `` It was a good chance for us to refocus at halftime , and we had better shape in the second half and got more rewards . We are making progress . Tonight was a good run-out . '' Flyhalf Morne Steyn set the 1995 and 2007 champions on their way when he kicked a successful penalty after three minutes , before wing Gio Aplon went over for the game 's first try three minutes later . Habana touched down for his historic score on 21 minutes , with South Africa awarded a penalty try after Namibia were overpowered in the scrum on the half-hour . Center Jaque Fourie registered South Africa 's fourth and final try of the opening period after 38 minutes , before Steyn again converted to make the halftime score 31-0 . Center Francois Steyn added to the tally after the break , and Morne Steyn continued his perfect record in the match by successfully converting before notching a try of his own on the hour mark . The tries kept coming for the Springboks with center Juan de Jongh coming off the bench to go over the Namibia line with 63 minutes gone , and scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar -- on as a replacement for kicker Steyn -- converted to make the score 54-0 . There was a second try for the 28-year-old Aplon , before a brace from flyhalf Derick Hougaard and further scores from de Jongh and forward Danie Rossouw completed the rout . South Africa are now in a strong position to reach the quarterfinals ahead of their fourth and final Pool D match with second-placed Samoa on September 30 , while Namibia face Wales , who also have last-eight aspirations , in New Plymouth on Monday . The Boks are on 14 points , eight clear of Samoa -- who like Wales , on five , have two matches to play .", "question": "What did Bryan Habana become", "answer": "South Africa 's all-time leading try scorer"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Slave labor in developing countries such as Brazil , China and India is fueling part of their huge economic growth , according to a State Department report released Wednesday . Amnesty International activists protest human trafficking during an event in Greece in March . The department 's annual `` Trafficking in Persons Report '' found increased allegations of forced labor made in connection with a variety of agricultural products and manufactured goods in developing countries . In Brazil , the report found a `` trafficking phenomenon . '' It said thousands of trafficked and forced laborers had been found on plantations growing sugar cane for Brazil 's booming production and export of the biofuel ethanol . The report cites shrimp processed in Thailand and Bangladesh ; clothing from Bangladesh , India , Jordan and Malaysia ; and bricks made in India , China and Pakistan as being among the products of booming industries in which workers are subjected to forced labor , debt bondage and hazardous working conditions . Laws are not adequate to punish those responsible , it adds . China was found to have a `` significant '' problem with forced labor , including forced child labor . Children as young as 12 are reportedly subject to forced labor under the guise of `` work and study programs '' and subject to excessively long hours , dangerous conditions , low pay and physical abuse . The report found China 's growing brick industry is fraught with cover-ups of the problem . For the fourth year in a row , China was put on a `` watch list '' of countries that could face sanctions if they do n't improve their efforts to combat trafficking . India was also placed on the watch list for not doing enough to solve its trafficking problem , according to the report . While commercial sexual exploitation remained a problem in India , the State Department found internal forced labor `` may constitute India 's largest trafficking problem . '' It said men , women and children are forced to work in brick kilns , rice mills , agricultural businesses and embroidery factories . Once again , the report found U.S. allies in the Persian Gulf to have dismal records on trafficking . Saudi Arabia , Qatar , Kuwait and Oman were listed as destination countries with widespread trafficking abuses . The report cites forced laborers trafficked from Asia and Africa who are subject to restrictions on movement , withholding of passports , threats , and physical and sexual abuse . The report found those countries made weak efforts to rescue the workers and prosecute the traffickers . The other countries on the blacklist are Algeria , Myanmar , Cuba , Fiji , Iran , Moldova , North Korea , Papua New Guinea , Sudan and Syria .", "question": "Where will you find slavery ?", "answer": "Brazil , China and India"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Army Gen. David Petraeus , the top U.S. commander in Iraq , has been chosen to become chief of U.S. Central Command , Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Wednesday . Gen. David Petraeus has been the commander in Iraq for more than a year . Petraeus would replace Adm. William Fallon , who said last month that he was resigning . Fallon said widespread , but false , reports that he was at odds with the Bush administration over Iran had made his job impossible . In addition , Gates said , Army Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno , commander of the Multinational Corps-Iraq -- the No. 2 position in Iraq -- is being nominated to fill Petraeus ' post . Odierno has been home from Iraq for only a couple of months but has agreed to return , Gates said . The plan is for Petraeus to leave Iraq in late summer or early fall , Gates said , to ensure a smooth transition and plenty of time for Odierno to prepare . `` We expect to move the paperwork on these nominations to the White House and to the Senate very quickly , '' Gates said . `` Because of the complexity of this series of moves , I respectfully ask the Senate to move on them expeditiously , hopefully by Memorial Day , so the families and we can plan appropriately . '' Odierno was in line for a Pentagon desk job as Army Vice Chief just over a year after helping Petraeus implement the `` surge '' in U.S. troops in Iraq . The Pentagon says Petraeus will stay in Iraq long enough to make the first recommendation on further troop cuts after the surge is over . Watch the challenges ahead of Petraeus '' Gates said the generals ' promotions reflected an endorsement of the current course in Iraq . `` The course certainly that Gen. Petraeus has set has been a successful course . So , frankly , I think staying that course is not a bad idea . I would say it 's a good idea , '' Gates said . Watch Gates nominate Petraeus '' Central Command , which oversees U.S. forces in East Africa , the Middle East and Central Asia , has its headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa , Florida . Gates said Odierno is well known to troops in Iraq , to military leadership and to Iraqis , and `` I believe , in most parts of the world , especially in the Middle East , personal relationships make a difference . '' '' I believe that this arrangement will probably preserve the likelihood of continued momentum and progress , '' Gates said . The defense secretary said he expects to easily win Senate approval for the nominations once they are made by President Bush . He said he had spoken with Sens. Carl Levin , D-Michigan ; John McCain , R-Arizona ; and John Warner , R-Virginia , and `` I do n't really anticipate any problems . '' In a press release Wednesday , McCain praised the move . `` Both of these great generals have served our country with skill and distinction , and I am pleased that they will continue to do so in positions of high responsibility , '' McCain wrote . Gates acknowledged that Fallon 's `` decision to step down was unexpected . '' `` I had intended that Adm. Fallon probably stay on for a third year . His second year would have ended in February , '' he said . `` So I 'm faced with a critical combatant command where a commander is needed -- and a commander who knows what 's going on in the region . '' Asked whether he was using Petraeus `` almost as a finger in the dike '' because of the shortage of Army generals with expertise in counterinsurgency warfare , Gates admitted that there are few Army officers with experience in and knowledge of Iraq . Odierno served as commander of the 4th Infantry Division , the unit that captured former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein . Petraeus was picked in January 2007 to replace Gen. George Casey as the chief commander in Iraq and won Senate confirmation that month . He previously served as head of the U.S. Army Combined Arms Center and as a commander in Iraq , and he was one of the main writers of an Army manual on counterinsurgency efforts . He was seen as the logical choice to replace Fallon . In his new post , he will oversee U.S. forces in all the Middle East , not only Iraq and Afghanistan . `` I recommended him to the president because I am absolutely confident he is the best man for the job , '' Gates said . In testimony to Congress this month , Petraeus said Iranian agents have played a `` destructive role '' in Iraq by backing Shiite militants , called `` special groups '' by the United States . The U.S. believes that Iran 's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force is behind the support for militants . `` Unchecked , the special groups pose the greatest long-term threat to the viability of a democratic Iraq , '' Petraeus testified . Last month , in an interview with CNN 's Kyra Phillips in Baghdad , Petraeus acknowledged some `` friction '' between himself and Fallon in the past year , but `` actually , over the last six months or so , our relationship was really very , very good . '' `` There was friction in the beginning . He has a different job than I have , '' Petraeus said . `` There can be understandable differences of your take , if you will , on a situation . As they say in politics and government 101 , where you stand on an issue sometimes depends on where you sit in the organization , and we sit in different chairs . '' E-mail to a friend CNN 's Jamie McIntyre contributed to this report .", "question": "Did Gates say changes would probably preserve ... momentum and progress '' ?", "answer": "I believe that this arrangement will probably preserve the likelihood of continued momentum and progress"}, {"story_text": "LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The British government announced Friday that more than 4,000 former Gurkha soldiers are entitled to settle in Britain , but Gurkha supporters quickly denounced the measure as meaningless . Former Gurkha solider Tulbahadur Pun was awarded Britain 's highest honor for bravery , the Victoria Cross . Supporters have fought for years for more rights for the Gurkhas , Nepalese soldiers who have been part of the British Army for nearly 200 years . Gurkhas have fought alongside the British Armed Forces in every conflict in that period , including both world wars , and are known for their ferocity and pride . Despite their centuries of service , Gurkhas were not given the right to settle in the United Kingdom until 2004 . And even then the order applied only to those discharged after the British handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997 , when the Gurkhas Brigade moved from Hong Kong to Britain . The government 's announcement Friday applies to all Gurkhas , including those who left the army before 1997 , if they meet one of five criteria . It also says around 6,000 of the Gurkhas ' dependents may be able to apply for settlement in Britain as well . `` The guidance honors the service , commitment , and gallantry of those who served with the Gurkhas Brigade , '' Border and Immigration Minister Phil Woolas said in a written statement . The Gurkha Justice Campaign , however , said the government 's criteria for the Gurkhas ' resettlement are unrealistic and too difficult for many of the soldiers to meet . `` Only a tiny fraction of the Gurkhas who retired before 1997 will win settlement rights under the new policy , '' the campaign said . `` The campaign for full Gurkha justice will now be taken back into Parliament and the courts . The government needs to know they will have a huge campaign against them who will commit to righting this wrong . '' The High Court ruled last September that the 1997 cut-off date was fair , but added that caseworkers needed revised guidance on deciding the cases of Gurkhas discharged before that date . Under the guidance , Gurkhas discharged before 1997 must meet one of five criteria to be considered for resettlement in Britain : \u2022 Have three years ' continuous residence in Britain , before or after service ; \u2022 Have close family settled in the United Kingdom ; \u2022 Have an award for gallantry , leadership , or bravery while in the brigade ; \u2022 Have a chronic medical condition attributable to or made worse by army service ; \u2022 Have served for 20 or more years . Actress Joanna Lumley , whose father served in the Gurkhas while she was a girl , has been an outspoken campaigner for their rights . She said the new criteria are harsher than she expected . `` They 've given five bullet points which virtually can not be met by the ordinary Gurkha soldier , '' Lumley told reporters Friday . `` This one page of criteria has taken the government four months to come up with . It has made me ashamed of our administration . '' She said most Gurkhas are allowed to stay in the United Kingdom for only two years , so three years of continuous residence is not possible . Most Gurkhas , she said , also have not been allowed to settle in Britain with their families . The requirement for having won an award discriminates against the ordinary soldier who has no award , she said . `` This sends out not only to the Gurkha soldiers , but to our own men fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq , the most appalling message : that unless you have been awarded a medal for gallantry , you 're not a real soldier , '' Lumley said . Only officers are allowed to serve 20 or more years , she said , so most riflemen will not qualify for the service requirement . And proving that an injury is related to army service will be nearly impossible for most , she said . `` How on earth are men who were injured in the 1940s , '50s , '60s going to be able to prove that their long-term chronic illness is attributable to injures received during their service ? '' she said . A Home Office spokesman said the government believes hundreds of Gurkhas will still be eligible to settle in Britain . `` We would not accept that , '' the spokesman said of Lumley 's criticisms . `` We would say that the criteria as we see it is fair and balanced . '' The Gurkha brigade originated in the 19th century with Nepalese soldiers who impressed British imperial troops with their ferocity and military ability . The first Gurkha units were formed in 1815 . They saw action in both world wars and were fundamental to the British military maintaining control of India in the 1800s . Today there are 3,400 troops in the Gurkha brigade , operating from bases in Great Britain . Most recently , Gurkha troops were used in the Persian Gulf War and the Balkan conflicts .", "question": "What are Gurkhas ?", "answer": "Nepalese soldiers who have been part of the British Army for nearly 200 years"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- OPRAH.com -RRB- -- Oprah has always said that mothers have the most difficult job on earth , and actress Jenny McCarthy is one mom who has never backed down from a challenge . Doctors removed Monica 's uterus , ovaries , gallbladder and part of her colon , along with her legs and arms . Jenny has been an outspoken advocate for parents of children with autism since her son was diagnosed with the disease two and a half years ago . In her new book , `` Mother Warriors , '' Jenny tells the story of other moms fighting for their special-needs kids . So when Oprah heard about Monica , another mom fighting for her children , she thought Jenny would be just the person to get this mother warrior 's story . After going through a painful divorce , Monica met Tony when she least expected it . Monica already had a 9-year-old daughter , but soon after she and Tony got engaged , they were thrilled to be expecting another bundle of joy . In August 2007 , she had a C-section , and though she worried about complications , Monica delivered a healthy baby girl . But hours after Sofia was born , Monica began running a fever . No one was concerned at first -- Monica figured it was just hormones -- but three days later the fever had n't broken , and Monica 's abdomen was swollen and painful . iReport.com : What do you think about this story ? Sound off on video The doctors at Monica 's hospital thought she might be infected with a deadly strain of bacteria . They flew her to a hospital in Boston where she was diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis , also known as flesh-eating bacteria . Defying the odds , Monica survived , but many of her organs did n't . The doctors removed Monica 's uterus , ovaries , gallbladder and part of her colon that same day . Within four weeks , Monica 's infection had restricted the blood flow to her arms and legs . Her nurses cleaned her limbs every day , and she knew they were trying to keep her from seeing the damage . But Monica wanted to face the disease head on . `` I needed to know what I was up against . I did n't want to be shielded anymore , '' Monica says . Eventually , doctors told Monica they had to amputate both arms and both legs . The surgery sounded scary , but Monica was determined to put it behind her and get back to her daughters . `` I was frightened at first , but when they told me -LSB- my arms and legs -RSB- had to be amputated , it was : ` Do it . I 've got to go home , ' '' Monica says . '' -LSB- I thought , -RSB- ' I have a life to live and it 's not here , and until you amputate , I ca n't move forward . ' '' After her amputation , Monica spent two months in the hospital , where she underwent a total of 37 surgeries . As Monica grew stronger , Tony realized there was no reason to postpone their wedding any longer -- they got married in the hospital chapel in October , 2007 . Monica spent the next two months going through grueling rehabilitation . `` She 's a fighter , '' Tony says . `` If they told her two hours of physical therapy a day , she 'd ask to double it up to four . She wanted to come home as soon as possible . They did n't think she 'd ever walk again , but she made it happen . '' Right before Christmas , Monica got what she 'd been waiting for . She was given the okay to go home to her husband and two daughters . A year later , Jenny visited Monica and her family at their home outside Boston , Massachusetts . `` I had a big aha ! moment after spending six hours with her . Monica accepted what is . She looked down and said : ` Okay , this is the situation . I ca n't change this , so I might as well surrender to it , ' '' Jenny says . `` When she does that , she is able to move forward in peace . '' Oprah.com : Jenny McCarthy answers parenting questions Nurses and doctors say they expected a `` why me ? '' breakdown from Monica while she was in the hospital , but it never happened . `` I did have moments of ` If God just left me one arm or one leg , life would be a little bit easier , ' but that 's not the way it went , '' Monica says . `` You make do with what you have . I could still love my girls . The bottom line was I am still here . '' Monica 's not the only warrior in this family . Jenny calls Tony a daddy warrior because he always stood by Monica and their family . `` I actually considered not marrying him because I was n't the person he agreed to marry , '' Monica says . `` But then I realized he loves me . He 's here , and he 's my heart . I 'm still a woman , and I still have a heart and a mind , regardless of whether I have arms or legs . '' Tony says that there was never even a moment when he considered leaving Monica . `` She was the same person inside , so nothing had changed , '' he says . `` At one point , they went to bring in a preacher to give her last rights , and I turned him away and said : ` No , she 's got a lot to fight for . She 's not going anywhere , she 'll be here for our family . ' And she was . She is . '' Monica 's family has been there for her too . When 9-year-old Madalyn found out about the surgeries , she took the news well . `` She 'd been watching ` Dancing with the Stars , ' and Heather Mills was on , '' Monica says . `` I told her , ` Well , I wo n't be doing back flips . ' But she was excited and said , ` You can be bionic mom . ' '' At Monica 's house , she and Jenny had a mom-to-mom chat about the issues that mother warriors face . `` Within the autism community , one of the things that we , as mothers , miss so much is being able to caress our children , because they do n't want to be touched , '' Jenny says . `` Do you experience that ? '' Monica says she has similar moments of sadness . `` For a while , I really could n't lift Sofia up , '' she says . `` I could hug Madalyn and have her hug me back , so that was good , but I miss being able to braid her hair , paint her fingernails , toenails -- the things that moms and daughters do . '' All mothers face frustrations , but Monica 's come with tasks that used to be simple . `` I get frustrated about not being to do everything that I used to do , '' she says . `` Everything is different -- things as simple as picking up a pen or signing a paper for Madalyn at school . '' Monica has n't let any of these obstacles stop her from living her life to the fullest . She does everything a mom would do , including paying the bills , which can take her up to three hours . `` It 's the ultimate practice in patience , '' Jenny says . Oprah.com : Meet more inspirational moms ! `` What good are you to your children if you 're miserable ? What are you teaching them ? That you give up ? That 's not what I want to teach my kids , '' Monica says . `` I want my girls to know that their mother 's a fighter . '' Monica 's been adjusting to her new life for a little over a year , and she says her strength comes from her support system -- from family and friends to people at the hospital and rehab facility . There are more surgeries to come , she says , but she 's taking it one day at a time . `` I 've come to the realization that things are as they are , and you have to move forward . Life goes on , '' she says . `` There 's no sense dwelling on it -- that just hurts too much and you do n't live your life the way you want to . And with a wonderful husband and two great girls , life is fun . '' From `` The Oprah Winfrey Show , '' `` Actress Jenny McCarthy : Warrior Moms '' Subscribe to O , The Oprah Magazine for up to 75 % off the newsstand price . That 's like getting 18 issues FREE . Subscribe now ! TM & \u00a9 2008 Harpo Productions , Inc. . All Rights Reserved .", "question": "Does she have any family ?", "answer": "husband and two daughters"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Greece is in a state of political turmoil sparked by Prime Minister George Papandreou 's call earlier this week for a referendum on the latest bailout package from Europe . A confidence vote in his government is scheduled for Friday night -- in the meantime , uncertainty rules . The crisis is unfolding as leaders of the G-20 group of nations meet in Cannes , France , for economic talks , amid fears that a debt default in Greece could send shock waves through the global economy . So what could come next for Greece ? Analysts see several potential scenarios . The vote of confidence in Papandreou 's government is expected to go ahead as planned , despite discussions Thursday on the formation of an interim coalition or national unity government . If he wins the confidence vote , he could claim a fresh mandate for his ruling Socialist PASOK party -- although even some within his party think its days in charge are numbered . Senior PASOK lawmaker Tilemachos Chytiris told Greek state TV channel ERT that ideally Papandreou would win the vote , but a national unity government would then be formed . If he loses the vote , the government would go into caretaker status until early elections can be held , said Heather Conley , senior fellow and director of the Europe Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a former U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state . `` What 's a foregone conclusion is that Papandreou would have to step down and allow a technocratic government that would receive the full support of parliament to be that caretaker , '' she said . In another scenario , the leader of the main opposition New Democracy party said Thursday that his party could enter a coalition government with the PASOK party , as an interim stage leading to new elections . Papandreou 's office said he is prepared to enter a national unity government with the opposition , but rejected the condition that early elections be held . Opposition leader Antonis Samaras later Thursday said Papandreou should step down and called for snap elections within six weeks . Under Greek law , a vote can not be held until at least 30 days after elections are called , meaning that the Greek people would go to the polls in early December at the soonest . In that case , it would be likely that the conservatives would win the most votes but would not have a parliamentary majority , forcing them to form a coalition government , said Kostas Gemenis , an assistant professor of politics at the University of Twente in the Netherlands . That coalition could include far-right parties or PASOK , but with the New Democracy lawmakers in the driver 's seat . The conservatives have said Greece needs to bargain harder with Europe on any deal . Another scenario is that PASOK and the conservatives join in a longer-term grand coalition , or unity , government . That option would give greater stability , as it would avoid elections , and could ensure that Greece stayed in the euro and the European Union , said Gemenis . As for the planned referendum , the likelihood of it taking place appears to be diminishing . Papandreou told his Cabinet Thursday he was backing off from a referendum vote because the opposition New Democracy party had agreed to the need to pass austerity measures required by the bailout . And the office of Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos said Friday he had confirmed to the European Commission that the referendum had been scrapped . That news would certainly come as a relief to Europe 's leaders . German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy warned Papandreou in Cannes Wednesday that Greece would have to leave the euro zone if voters rejected the bailout plan . But Greece could find it hard to put the cat back in the bag now it 's been allowed out , Conley said . Although some observers say the referendum will not survive if Papandreou does not , she foresees a scenario where the Greek people demand a say in decisions that will affect them , and their country , for decades . She warns it could also lead to the governments of other countries , such as the United Kingdom and Italy , facing calls for difficult decisions to be put them to a referendum . The recent crisis has prompted talk of a `` democracy deficit , '' she said , as people in the different countries within the European Union complain that they have no say in important issues . Defiance of Europe 's wishes would come at a substantial cost for Greece . At stake is a deal that would wipe out 100 billion euros in Greek debt , half of what it owes to private creditors , and a promise of 30 billion euros from the public sector to help pay off some of the remaining debts . That makes the whole deal worth 130 billion euros -LRB- $ 178 billion -RRB- . If its people vote `` no '' to the bailout plan , European leaders have made clear they will not hand over a sixth tranche of European funds from a previously agreed bailout . The Greek government is expected to run out of money in mid-November , and that 8 billion euro -LRB- about $ 10.9 billion -RRB- tranche is needed to keep it afloat . There are already signs that Greece 's domestic banking system is starting to seize up amid the doubts over future European funding , Conley said . As for the euro zone -- the group of 17 European nations that use the euro as currency -- the top priority will be to stop the turmoil in Greece spreading beyond its borders . Ahead of the G-20 summit , U.S. President Barack Obama made clear that the stakes were high for everyone and that `` contagion '' must be prevented . `` The most important task for us is to resolve the financial crisis here in Europe , '' he said , adding that the United States will `` continue to be a partner with Europe to resolve these issues . '' Paola Subacchi , research director in international economics at the London-based Chatham House think tank , said it was imperative that a robust firewall be put in place around Greece to stop other countries being dragged down . Such a firewall would include a better-funded European bailout find and flexible credit for countries caught up on the margins of the crisis , she said . She predicts that whatever the fate of Papandreou 's government , Greece is likely to be in a state of political paralysis for some time . Europe must put provisions in place to allow Greece to leave the euro , if that becomes necessary , with minimum damage , she said . `` The priority now is to focus not on Greece but on the rest of Europe , in particular Italy , which is the country most likely to be affected , '' she said . A joint statement from European Council president Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso at the G-20 reiterated Europe 's commitment to keeping the euro zone above water . `` Europe is fully aware of its responsibility in these difficult times . We , as the world 's largest market , have to play a major role in the global recovery , '' they said . CNN 's Elinda Labropoulou contributed to this report .", "question": "What is Papandreou facing on Friday ?", "answer": "A confidence vote in his government"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Six of the seven college students killed in a massive house fire Sunday morning in Ocean Isle Beach , North Carolina , attended the University of South Carolina , a university official said Sunday . `` This is a very sad day for the University of South Carolina family , '' Dennis A. Pruitt , the vice president for student affairs , told reporters . The seventh fatality is believed to be a Clemson University student , he said . The six survivors -- who were treated and released from Brunswick Community Hospital -- are also USC students , he said . Pruitt said the bodies were being sent to Chapel Hill , North Carolina , for identification . Watch home video showing the house in flames '' `` It is difficult to ascertain exactly who was in the house and who was not , '' Pruitt said , explaining that several area houses were filled with college students visiting for the weekend . Newspaper deliveryman Tim Burns was aghast when he first saw the inferno early Sunday morning . He tried to approach the door but the flames were too intense , he told the Associated Press . `` When I was going up to the entryway , you could hear the windows above me explode , '' Burns said . `` When I knew the flames had taken over , I do n't think I 've ever felt as helpless in my life . '' The USC students were affiliated with the Delta Delta Delta sorority and the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity , Pruitt said , although he stressed that the weekend was not an official Greek function . `` It just so happens , as on many university campuses , that certain sororities and certain fraternities hang around together , '' he said . One person described as `` unaccounted for '' was later confirmed dead , Ocean Isle Beach Mayor Debbie Smith told CNN . `` We suffered a terrible tragedy at Ocean Isle this morning , '' Smith said in a news conference . `` Nothing like this has ever happened at Ocean Isle Beach , and we hope it never will again . '' She said officials had not yet contacted all the victims ' families , and that they were not yet releasing their names . The mayor said one of the 13 people in the house was related to the house 's owner . Smith said the house was fully `` engulfed '' in flames around 7 a.m. when the fire department arrived on the scene , about five minutes after the fire department was notified . She said the house had working smoke detectors , AP reported . Officials are investigating the cause of the fire , Smith said . `` We ran down the street to get away , '' Nick Cain told the AP . The University of North Carolina student was staying at a house about 100 feet away . Some of his friends had met several people staying at the house that burned down . `` The ash and the smoke were coming down on us . We were just trying to get away , '' Cain told the AP . Ocean Isle Beach is a popular resort destination along the southern coast of North Carolina . The 7-mile-long island 's year-round population is about 425 , while the summer season population is about 25,000 , according to the town 's Web site . E-mail to a friend", "question": "Who said the house owner is related to one of the 13 at the house ?", "answer": "The mayor said one of the 13 people in the house was related to the house 's"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Saudi Arabia 's King Abdullah has been called `` The King of Hearts '' by many of his countrymen , referring to what they believe are his compassionate attempts to reform his ultra-conservative kingdom . He used his power Monday to overturn a criminal court sentence of 60 lashes and a two-year travel ban imposed on female journalist Rosanna al-Yami . Under the travel ban , she could not have left Saudi Arabia . Al-Yami was sentenced for her work on an episode of the television show `` A Thick Red Line '' that featured a Saudi man who bragged about sexual escapades . The controversial show explores social taboos . It is carried by the Lebanese Broadcasting Corp. , for which al-Yami works as a coordinator and guest booker . `` King Abdullah 's swift revocation of this punishment sends an important notice to the Saudi judicial system that it should not go after journalists for exercising free speech , '' said Sarah Leah Whitson , Middle East director for Human Rights Watch . `` King Abdullah should also overturn the sentence against the man at the center of the case , who had spoken about sex on a television show , and initiate reforms to strengthen the rights to freedom of expression and to a fair trial , '' Human Rights Watch said in a written statement . In the episode , the Saudi man , Mazen Abdul Jawad , 32 , bragged about his sex life . Saudi authorities put him on trial and sentenced him to five years in prison and 1,000 lashes . Shortly afterward , the court sentenced al-Yami . Jawad 's attorney , Suleiman al-Jumeii , said al-Yami was not involved in setting up the episode in which his client appeared . The lawyer said he is attempting to pursue an appeal for his client and get the case heard in a special court that deals only with media matters . `` A Thick Red Line '' caused an uproar in deeply conservative Saudi Arabia , where sharia , or Islamic law , is practiced . Pre-marital sex is illegal , and unrelated men and women are not permitted to mingle . Saudi authorities shut down Lebanese Broadcasting 's offices in Jeddah and Riyadh after the interview aired a few months ago . The king 's pardon of al-Yami was unusual , but it was not the first time he has stepped in . In late 2007 , the king pardoned a woman who , although she had been gang-raped , was sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in prison for appearing in public with an unrelated male , who also was pardoned , according to the Saudi justice minister . The king concluded in a letter pardoning the woman that her male companion , who was abducted along with her , had suffered torture along with her . Details of what happened to the two were not disclosed . Octavia Nasr , senior editor for Middle East affairs , contributed to this report .", "question": "What was a Saudi man sentenced to ?", "answer": "five years in prison and 1,000 lashes"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A man who allegedly tried to break into the home of a recently widowed Oklahoma woman -- who shot and killed his alleged fellow intruder after calling 911 -- was freed Thursday on bail despite a first-degree murder charge , a court clerk said . Although he did not fire the fatal shot , 29-year-old Dustin Louis Stewart is charged with first-degree felony murder in the incident because if someone dies during the commission of certain crimes , such as burglary , an alleged accomplice can be charged in the death , prosecutors have said . A hearing for Stewart was held Thursday in the central Oklahoma city of Chickasha , five days after the incident . During that hearing , Stewart posted the $ 50,000 bond and was released , Grady County court clerk Jessica Pickle told CNN . Prosecutors recommended that $ 50,000 be set as the bail amount , according to a court document . Stewart was ordered not to have any contact with the alleged victim -- in this case , Sarah Dawn McKinley , who fired the fatal shot -- and to appear next in court the morning of January 20 . A preliminary hearing in the case is set for May 23 , the document signed by Stewart states . The incident has caught the nation 's attention because part of the action was captured during a 911 conversation . Home alone with her 3-month-old son , McKinley of Blanchard , Oklahoma , said she decided to make a stand when the two men tried to break into her home on New Year 's Eve . McKinley , who had been widowed less than a week before , placed a couch in front of one door and went to the bedroom and put a bottle in her baby 's mouth before calling 911 , she said on HLN 's `` Dr. Drew '' on Wednesday . A 911 operator calmly spoke with McKinley , who asked if it was permissible to shoot an intruder , officials said . `` I 've got two guns in my hand . Is it OK to shoot him if he comes in this door ? '' asked McKinley , 18 . `` Well , you have to do whatever you can do to protect yourself , '' dispatcher Diane Graham responded . `` I ca n't tell you that you can do that , but you do what you have to do to protect your baby . '' In the end , McKinley fired a 12-gauge shotgun and killed Justin Shane Martin after he entered her home , according to a Blanchard Police Department affidavit filed in court Wednesday . Martin was armed with a knife , authorities said . `` You have to make a choice , you or him . I chose my son over him , '' McKinley said to CNN Oklahoma City affiliate KWTV . First Assistant District Attorney James Walters told CNN that McKinley will not be charged because she acted in self-defense . `` A person has the right to protect themselves , their family and their property , '' Walters said . As for the 911 operator 's guidance ? `` I would agree with that advice , '' the prosecutor said . It 's not uncommon for charges to be filed against an alleged accomplice in cases where two people are committing a crime and a death occurs , even that of a co-conspirator , said Trent Baggett , assistant executive coordinator at the Oklahoma District Attorneys Council . `` It 's all dependent upon if the situation warrants it and the facts warrant it , '' he said . '' ... If in the commission of a qualifying offense , someone gets killed , then yes , -LRB- first-degree murder charges -RRB- can and probably will be filed upon the person who does n't die . '' Even if they did n't pull the trigger themselves ? `` Under Oklahoma law , it does n't matter , '' Baggett said . And people have been convicted of first-degree murder under such circumstances , he added . Graham was the first of two 911 operators to speak with McKinley . The dispatcher told HLN 's Jane Velez-Mitchell on Wednesday she learned in training that she could not tell a caller to shoot someone but , `` as a mother , I wanted her to protect her baby . '' `` She did a very good job in keeping her -LRB- McKinley -RRB- calm , '' Grady County Sheriff Art Kell said of Graham . `` Her job is to make sure the person on the phone is comfortable ... to give them support . '' McKinley was on the phone with a second dispatcher when she pulled the trigger . McKinley 's husband died of cancer on Christmas Day , Walters said . Evidence indicates Martin and Stewart may have been looking for painkillers or other drugs taken by McKinley 's ill husband , the assistant prosecutor said . Investigators found no such drugs , he told CNN . Police said Stewart told them Martin knew McKinley 's husband had died , according to CNN affiliate KOCO . Martin suspected prescription drugs would be inside the home , the station reported , citing court documents . McKinley said she believes the men were coming after her , rather than intending to commit a robbery . According to the affidavit , the men approached McKinley 's mobile home Saturday afternoon . Martin had devised a plan to burglarize the residence , police said . Stewart told investigators he and Martin ingested hydrocodone about 30 minutes before reaching the rural home , the affidavit states . Martin `` aggressively '' knocked on the doors of the home and gained entry by hitting one of them with his shoulder , police said . Stewart said `` he heard a gunshot after Martin entered the residence , '' and Stewart then `` fled on foot . '' McKinley said she had pushed the couch against the door to deter entry . `` When he busted in the door I saw something shimmering in his hand , '' the mother told HLN . `` I thought it was a pistol at first , but it was a 12-inch hunting knife . I did n't know -LRB- that -RRB- until after I shot and killed him . '' Martin , 24 , was found between the door and a couch with a knife clutched in his gloved left hand , police said . CNN 's calls to police in Blanchard , about 25 miles south of downtown Oklahoma City , were not immediately returned . Stewart 's attorney , Stephen Buzin , told CNN he would not comment on specifics of the case against his client . `` We will let the facts come out at trial and feel comfortable with his innocence , '' the attorney said . Martin recently had approached McKinley 's home , saying he wanted to introduce himself , Walters said . The man said he worked for the owner of the property on which McKinley lived , she told HLN . McKinley , who in addition to the shotgun was also armed with a pistol , was on the phone with authorities for 21 minutes , Walters said . `` She remained as calm as one could under the circumstances and had the forethought and called 911 , as everyone should , '' he said . McKinley was asked on `` Dr. Drew '' whether she regretted shooting Martin . `` No . We could have been in a whole different situation if I had n't done it , '' she replied . Read more about this story from CNN affiliate KWTV . Watch ISSUES with Jane Velez-Mitchell Monday through Sunday at 7pm ET on HLN . For the latest from ISSUES click here .", "question": "What did court document say the man ca n't do ?", "answer": "have any contact with the alleged victim"}, {"story_text": "Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama called Thursday for high-level talks with Republicans to work out a compromise on health care legislation , then putting the resulting bill to a vote in Congress . `` If Congress decides we 're not going to do it , even after all the facts are laid out , after all the options are clear , then the American people can make a judgment as to whether this Congress has done the right thing for them or not , '' Obama said . `` That 's how democracy works . '' Obama 's comments were the first clear signal from the White House or Democrats in Congress on how they would proceed on a top legislative priority after losing their 60-seat super-majority in the Senate . Republican Scott Brown was sworn in as the new U.S. senator from Massachusetts earlier Thursday , leaving the Democrats one vote shy of being able to overcome GOP filibusters of health care reform and other major initiatives . Asked at a party fund-raising event about the Democratic strategy for health care reform going forward , Obama said Democratic leaders in the House and Senate were working out differences in the separate health care bills passed by each chamber last year . Once that was finished , Obama said , the next step would be `` to call on our Republican friends to present their ideas . '' `` What I 'd like to do is to have a meeting whereby I 'm sitting with the Republicans , sitting with the Democrats , sitting with health care experts , and let 's just go through these bills -- their ideas , our ideas -- and walk through them and in a methodical way so that the American people can see and compare , '' Obama said . `` And then I think we 've got to go ahead and move forward on a vote , '' he added . `` We 've got to move forward on a vote . '' A White House official acknowledged later Thursday that this was new language from Obama to offer a possible scenario for health care talks to move forward . However , the official stressed it was `` not a new strategy '' for the White House to coalesce behind , and aides were still mulling various options to complete action on health care legislation . Democrat leaders in Congress have struggled to come up with a consensus strategy since the party lost its super-majority in the Senate . Republicans have unanimously opposed the health care bills so far , meaning Democrats would be unable to pass a bill through the Senate because of a certain GOP filibuster . Brown , now the 41st Republican senator to give the GOP its unstoppable filibuster ability , said Thursday after his swearing-in that Congress should start over on the health care issue instead of continuing to work on existing proposals . Republicans complain the comprehensive Democratic health care bills would lead to a government takeover of health care . They call for smaller steps focused on individual issues , such as limiting medical malpractice lawsuits . Democrats , however , say that spiraling health care costs that threaten the nation 's future economic stability can only be addressed through comprehensive reform . Obama said Thursday the Democratic bill that will emerge from the House-Senate talks on joining their two proposals would expand coverage to at least 30 million Americans who lack health insurance while reducing long-term health care costs . The measure would include an insurance exchange to allow people and small business owners to pool together to purchase coverage , Obama said , but he made no mention of a government-run public health insurance option that Republicans have rallied against . Obama said the Democratic bill would include reforms that prevent insurance companies from denying coverage for pre-existing medical conditions or capping lifetime benefits . `` And by the way , all of it is paid for , '' Obama said . `` Not only is it deficit-neutral , but the Congressional Budget Office , which is the bipartisan office that is the scorekeeper for much things cost in Congress , says it is going to reduce the costs by $ 1 trillion . '' Obama called health care reform the `` single best way to bring down our deficits , '' adding `` nobody has disputed that . '' `` Nobody can dispute the fact that if we do n't tackle surging health care costs , then we ca n't control our budget , '' he said . While Democrats from both chambers have been working together to merge their two bills , alternative strategies also have been discussed . House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said this week that the chamber would vote next week on one provision of its health care bill , which would drop the current anti-trust exemption for the insurance industry that allows practices such as market allocation . The Senate bill would maintain the anti-trust exemption , so it was unclear whether the House 's limited first step would win approval there . However , Democratic aides have said that House Democrats want to keep momentum on health care going in coming weeks . CNN 's Ed Henry contributed to this story .", "question": "What does the president want republicans to do ?", "answer": "a compromise on health care legislation , then putting the resulting bill to a vote in Congress"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A jury Thursday acquitted a former Louisville , Kentucky , high school football coach of all charges connected to the heat-related death of a player last year . David Stinson leaves the courtroom Thursday after being found not guilty in the death of a high school player . The jury found former Pleasure Ridge Park football coach David Jason Stinson not guilty of reckless homicide and wanton endangerment in the death of 15-year-old Max Gilpin , who collapsed during a practice on August 20 , 2008 . The teenager died three days later . Gilpin 's body temperature reached 107 degrees , officials say . Stinson also was acquitted on a charge of wanton endangerment . Watch Stinson after his aquittal '' Prosecutors said Stinson ran a tough practice on a hot day that made several of his players sick . `` The defendant said to his kids , ` We 're going to run until someone quits , ' '' prosecutor Jon Heck alleged in his closing argument . `` A young man given that ultimatum , he ran until he collapsed . He turned white , his eyes rolled back . He could no longer support himself . ... He lost his consciousness , was ultimately taken to the hospital where his body temperature exceeded 107 degrees , '' Heck said of Gilpin . The defense argued that nothing was wrong with the practice and that other factors may have contributed to Gilpin 's heat stroke . `` We 're the first place in this country to indict a coach for a homicide or a felony involving a practice that nobody says they would have stopped , '' defense attorney Alex Dathorne said in his closing argument . `` There 's nothing wrong with the practice ; there 's nothing wrong with it . '' The defense presented witnesses who said Gilpin had complained that he was n't feeling well the day he collapsed . Gilpin 's parents have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against six coaches at the school . The suit claims they were negligent in their actions and that more than 20 minutes passed between the time Gilpin collapsed and the time one of the coaches called paramedics , according to CNN affilliate WHAS . Stinson is the only person who has been charged with a crime . Days after he was charged , Stinson told supporters that his `` heart is broken . '' `` Part of my life has been taken away , '' he said , according to WHAS . `` I no longer teach , and I no longer coach at the school that I love . ... `` The one thing people keep forgetting in this is that I lost one of my boys that day , '' he said . `` It was a boy that I loved and a boy that I cared for and a boy that meant the world to me . That 's the thing that people forget . And that 's a burden I will carry with me for the rest of my life . ''", "question": "Was Jason Stinson guilty ?", "answer": "not guilty in the death of a high school player"}, {"story_text": "NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Two undocumented workers from Mexico and one from Ecuador have reached court settlements in recent weeks for a total of $ 3.85 million in damages for New York construction-site accidents , an attorney for the men announced Wednesday . `` All three cases involve construction and terribly unsafe working conditions , '' the attorney , Brian O'Dwyer , said in a news conference . `` We 're here today to re-emphasize -- as we have in the past -- to the Latino community and all undocumented workers that they have the same rights once they 're on the job as any New York citizen . '' A 33-year-old undocumented plumber from Mexico who was scalded by an exploding pipe at a Wall Street construction site in 2004 settled his damage claim for $ 2.5 million , according to a statement given to reporters at the news conference . The married father of two , who says he still has nightmares from the accident , hopes to open a restaurant or bar with the settlement money , his cousin told reporters . In a separate statement , owners of the Wall Street site said only that the injured plumber was `` employed directly by -LSB- the -RSB- contractor and not by the owner of the property nor the managing agent . '' Reached through a public relations firm , a spokesperson for the contractor , Swig Equities , had no comment . Another undocumented Mexican worker suffered severe injuries to his left foot and other parts of his body when a steel beam fell on his lower body at a building site in downtown Manhattan , the news conference statement said . The 52-year-old settled his damage claim against Beway Realty Corp. and F.J. Sciame Construction Co. . Inc. for $ 750,000 , according to the statement . David Koeppel , a managing member of Beway Realty , said he was not familiar with the case . F.J. Sciame Construction , the site 's contractor , did not respond to inquiries . A 36-year-old Ecuadorian laborer who worked at the Arverne by the Sea community in Queens -- a neighborhood The New York Times has called a `` bright spot '' in the housing market for its strong sales and low foreclosure rates -- settled a damage claim for $ 600,000 , the news conference statement said . He was injured when three large 44x10-foot trusses , each weighing 200 pounds , collapsed onto him in August 2007 , fracturing his hip and causing other injuries , according to the statement . The father of three , who had worked in construction for more than a decade and owned his own company at the time of the accident , said he was very sad after the accident because he did not know how he would support his family . His two sons , now 7 and 8 , and his 16-year-old daughter were all born in the United States . `` The contractor tried to blame me , '' he said at the news conference , speaking in Spanish . What message would he give other workers ? `` Do n't be afraid to talk to a lawyer . '' Although he had not yet recovered enough to resume construction work , he hopes to use the settlement money to build a home for his family in New Jersey . Messages left for The Beechwood Organization , developers of Arverne by the Sea , were not returned . Joel Magallan , executive director of Asociacion Tepeyac , an immigrant advocacy group , said that while construction work is often dangerous , undocumented workers are likely to work at sites that lack safety equipment and OSHA regulation compliance . `` This is a great day for the undocumented immigrants , '' Magallan said . `` They have to know today that they have rights -- the same rights as other workers who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents . '' `` Many workers are threatened by their employers with deportation or discharge if they bring their cases to court , '' O'Dwyer said . `` What we find normally on work sites in New York is that deaths occur to the undocumented far out of proportion to their work in the workplace , and that is because of the fact that they just do not receive the safety protections , '' he said . In 2005 , O'Dwyer won a historic $ 4 million settlement for a 33-year-old Mexican worker who had fallen 30 feet in a scaffolding accident in the Bronx . The injured worker , who was hospitalized for four weeks and underwent seven surgeries after the 2001 accident , told CNN on Wednesday that workers -- documented or undocumented -- should not to be afraid to stand up for their rights . Although it is illegal for an employer to knowingly hire a worker who is undocumented , according to the New York City Mayor 's Office of Immigration Affairs , if an undocumented worker is hired by an employer , he or she then has the right to be paid minimum wage and overtime , the right to health protection and workplace safety , and the right to organize to improve labor conditions . `` Each of these men was injured in the course of their work on construction sites , and their immigration status was irrelevant to their right to seek redress for those injuries , '' O'Dwyer explained in a statement . `` Enforcing laws requiring a safe workplace serves the interests of all Americans , whether they are citizens or not . '' The men involved in the settlements said they chose to remain anonymous to protect relatives outside of the United States , who could become the target of kidnapping schemes if knowledge of their settlements became public .", "question": "Where are the undocumented workers from ?", "answer": "Mexico and one from Ecuador"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- More than 1,300 Palestinians died and about 5,400 others were wounded during Israel 's three-week offensive in Gaza , the Web site of the Palestinian Authority 's Central Bureau of Statistics said Monday . A Palestinian man Monday prays in the rubble of his home , destroyed during Israel 's offensive in Gaza . Louay Shabana , head of the agency , said more than 22,000 buildings were damaged or destroyed . Shabana put the economic destruction at more than $ 1.9 billion . The fighting largely stopped Sunday with a cease-fire . Israel has said 13 of its citizens -- including 10 soldiers -- were killed during the offensive , which started December 27 . Israel said its offensive was aimed at stopping Hamas militants from firing rockets into southern Israel . Gaza is in need of humanitarian , economic , sanitary and social help as a result of the Israeli attacks , Shabana said . The attacks destroyed public sector and private buildings in Gaza , affecting even the United Nations Relief and Works Agency 's facilities and halting economic and social services , the statistics agency said . Watch Palestinians recover bodies from rubble '' Gaza 's gross domestic product was slashed by 85 percent during the 22 days of war , and it could take a year for the economy to recover , the agency said in a preliminary report . About 80 percent of crops in Gaza were destroyed , according to the agency . `` The pervasive sense here among the population is one of overwhelming grief , so many families have been destroyed in so many ways , '' said John Ging , the top United Nations official in Gaza . Ging , UNRWA 's Gaza director of operations , said the bill could reach `` billions of dollars . '' Among the dead were 159 children , two of whom died in an UNRWA school that was shelled Saturday , Ging said . Gaza 's main border crossings , which Israel often closed in response to Hamas rocket attacks , were open Monday . Infrastructure repairs were being made , but 400,000 people still had no water , according to Ging . Streets in some northern Gaza towns were flooded with sewage , and about 50 U.N. facilities were damaged , he said . More than 170 supply trucks crossed into Gaza on Monday , less than a third of the daily number that crossed in 2005 , said John Holmes , U.N. under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator . Israel tried to avoid civilian casualties in Gaza , a senior Israel Defense Forces officer said in a posting Monday on the IDF Web site . `` This was not a war against the Palestinians , '' he said . `` It was an operation of self-defense against Hamas and related terror organizations . Unfortunately , this task was made extremely difficult by Hamas , as they made the choice to use civilians as human shields . '' Israel began the offensive in response to rocket fire by Hamas militants after showing eight years of restraint , the officer said . The operation 's goal , he said , `` was to improve the security situation in southern Israel , and to facilitate peaceful living for the Israeli civilians living there . '' `` We asked ourselves how to accomplish this , and the answer was to hit Hamas hard -- to strike the tunnels , the terrorists themselves , and all of their assets -- in order to prevent them from committing war crimes by firing rockets that target our civilian population , '' the officer said . He said seven rockets have been fired from Gaza into Israel since Sunday 's cease-fire declaration . `` We want to give this cease-fire a chance , but if Hamas chooses not to , we will utilize all of our means , '' he said .", "question": "How much destruction does the official say offensive cost ?", "answer": "more than $ 1.9 billion"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will begin chemotherapy in the coming days to treat a malignant tumor in his larynx , a hospital official said Saturday . Lula , 66 , will be treated at Sao Paulo 's Syrian-Lebanese Hospital , said hospital spokeswoman Mirtes Bogea . It is not clear what day the treatment will begin . He was diagnosed Saturday morning after undergoing medical examinations , Bogea said . `` This is a localized tumor , '' noted Bogea , meaning that it has not spread elsewhere in the body . She added that the tumor has not metastasized , a characteristic of most cancerous cells . Finance Minister Guido Mantega told reporters that he attended Lula 's birthday party last week and noticed that his voice sounded hoarse . `` But since he has been traveling a lot and delivering speeches , we all thought it was normal , '' he told CNN affiliate Rede Record TV . On Saturday , Mantega predicted Lula would beat cancer . He noted that former first lady Marisa Leticia has been with Lula ever since he came to the hospital for a check-up on Friday . `` He is a fighter , '' Mantega told reporters , adding he expected Lula will leave the hospital later Saturday . `` He has overcome lesser obstacles and will overcome this one as well . '' Raul Cutait , one of the doctors treating the former president told Rede Record TV that Lula appears well . He said it is also likely that therapy will begin early next week . Sao Paulo 's Syrian-Lebanese hospital is considered one of the region 's top cancer treatment centers . Founded in 1921 by Syrian and Lebanese immigrants , the facility 's staff has also treated Paraguay 's President Fernando Lugo and former Brazilian Vice President Jose Alencar , who died in March after a long battle against abdominal cancer . Its patients also include current Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff -- Lula 's handpicked successor and is the first woman to hold the presidency -- who was treated in 2005 for lymphoma . Rousseff said on her Twitter account that she 'd spoken to Lula 's wife , and in a press release issued Saturday wished her predecessor a `` fast recovery . '' `` As you all know , I went through the same thing , with the competent team of the Syrian-Lebanese hospital , which allowed me to completely recover , '' she said . `` I am sure the same thing will happen to President Lula . '' Lula , who rose from a childhood of poverty to become a union leader , won elections in 2002 to become Brazil 's first working-class president . He is widely credited with helping steer the nation into becoming an economic powerhouse , leaving office last year with high approval ratings . Presidents , however , are barred from running for a third consecutive term . When Lula turned 66 years-old last Thursday , he addressed the Brazilian public via the Internet , saying that he had dedicated more than half his half to improving Brazil 's democracy . `` The cake is not one of the biggest cakes , '' he said , with a wink , during a speech . `` But I hope to give to all of you a tiny bite . ''", "question": "Where is Lula being treated ?", "answer": "Sao Paulo 's Syrian-Lebanese Hospital"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Police on Saturday arrested a registered sex offender suspected of luring a 15-year-old girl on Myspace.com , authorities said . William Joe Mitchell , a registered sex offender , is suspected of luring a 15-year-old girl online . William Joe Mitchell was apprehended at a `` The Flying J Truck Stop '' just outside of Winchester , Virginia , authorities said . Virginia State Police arrested him without incident . Detectives received a tip Saturday that he was at the truck stop , located off Interstate 81 , according to the Polk County sheriff 's department . Personal items belonging to the teenager were found in his car , according to the sheriff 's statement . Mitchell had allegedly been communicating with Alyssa Frank on the popular Web site Myspace.com , officials said . Mitchell , 46 , told Frank he was 24 years old , Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd told CNN . Virginia and Polk County , Florida , authorities and the U.S. Marshals Service in Tampa , Florida , were working together on the case . Polk County Sheriff 's detectives found Frank earlier this week , one day after she disappeared . She was found wandering around a Wal-Mart store in DeFuniak Springs , Florida , and had apparently been abandoned by her alleged abductor . A store employee called police after noticing the girl . Mitchell took Frank to the store in an apparent attempt to `` dump her , '' Judd said . Mitchell , in leaving the girl , told her not to draw attention to herself or he would kill her , Judd said in a statement . Frank is believed to have left her house in Bartow , Florida , before dawn Monday to rendezvous with Mitchell , Judd said . He then apparently took her to Alabama . Mitchell brought her back to DeFuniak Springs , which is between Pensacola and Tallahassee on the Florida Panhandle . Polk County authorities said Mitchell faces charges including solicitation to commit a lewd act ; enticing a child via the Internet ; interference with custody ; and traveling to meet a minor . He also is sought on warrants from Jacksonville , Florida , and Alabama , said Polk County sheriff 's spokeswoman Donna Wood . The teen 's father , Rodger Frank , told CNN Saturday he had no idea his daughter had been communicating with Mitchell . He urged parents to talk to their kids about what they are doing online . `` We 've had serious talks about -LSB- not putting -RSB- information of your own out there to the people , '' he said . `` The Internet is for information . It 's not a playground . '' Frank said he is installing spy software on his computer to help him monitor what his daughter is doing . `` We think our children are well-behaved , '' he said . `` We have to watch them harder . We do n't know everything . '' Speaking with Rodger Frank , Judd warned others who are trying to take advantage of young people . `` We 'll hunt you down like the felon and criminal you are , '' he said . `` You keep your hands off our children . '' E-mail to a friend", "question": "What is William Joe Mitchell accused of ?", "answer": "luring a 15-year-old girl online"}, {"story_text": "BOSTON , Massachusetts -LRB- CNN/IN Session -RRB- -- A German man who called himself Clark Rockefeller and passed himself off for years as a member of the moneyed clan was sentenced Friday to four to five years in prison for kidnapping his daughter . The man who said he was Clark Rockefeller actually is Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter . Earlier in the day , a jury of eight women and four men found Christian Carl Gerhartsreiter , 48 , guilty of the kidnapping and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon . Judge Frank M. Gaziano noted that Gerhartsreiter showed little regard for the impact his actions had on his former wife and daughter . He said he also considered the defendant 's long history of deceptive and manipulative behavior , including the use of multiple aliases . Gerhartsreiter already has spent a year in jail , meaning that with credit for good behavior he could spend just another year or two in prison . Gerhartstreiter , who was born in Germany and is in the U.S. illegally , faces removal by immigration authorities when he completes his sentence . In addition , his lawyer said , authorities in Los Angeles , California , have convened a grand jury to investigate his possible role in the 1985 deaths of a couple who rented a carriage house to him . The defendant stared straight ahead as the judge announced the sentence . He was equally impassive when the jury returned its verdicts . Watch the verdict '' The jury rejected Gerhartsreiter 's insanity defense , but found him not guilty of two lesser charges after deliberating for 26 1/2 hours over five days . He faces up to 15 years in prison . A sentencing hearing was set to begin at 2 p.m. ET . `` Today the victims in this case have some sense of justice , I hope , '' said Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley `` We are very happy with today 's verdict . We 're very happy with the jury . '' After announcing the verdict , all 12 jurors returned to the courtroom and delivered a prepared statement . `` This was a complicated case , and not as clear-cut as it might have seemed to those who followed it in the media , '' the jurors ' statement said `` We are confident that our verdict is fair and just , and based only on the information we were legally allowed to consider , '' it continued . `` Our verdict is a unanimous one , as the law requires , and all of us stand by the verdict completely . '' The jurors said the terse statement was their final word on the case . They did not take questions . The case has attracted international attention because of the defendant 's bogus claim to be related to the Rockefellers , one of America 's wealthiest families . He fooled even his wife of 12 years , who said on the witness stand that she had `` a blind spot '' for a man who charmed her , then controlled her and bullied her . Prosecutors said Gerhartsreiter came to the United States from Germany in 1978 as a student . They said he is a con man who has been telling fanciful tales and misrepresenting himself ever since . The defense said he has long suffered from mental illness that boiled over into insanity when he abducted his 7-year-old daughter , Reigh , last summer . The jury heard closing arguments and legal instructions before retiring for deliberation Monday . `` This is not a man playing with a full deck , '' said Jeffrey Denner , one of two lawyers who gave closing arguments for the defense . According to testimony from defense experts , Gerhartsreiter believed his daughter was in danger . He also believed they could communicate telepathically and shared a secret language . `` You see him descending into madness , '' Denner said . `` You see completely irrational action that other people are buying because of the name Rockefeller and the appearance , the veneer , of respectability with a powerful wife . '' The defense called two experts who , he said , spent 28 hours with the defendant before diagnosing him as having a narcissistic personality disorder and grandiose delusions . Prosecutor David Deakin called the insanity diagnosis `` preposterous . '' He argued , `` This is not a case about madness . It 's a case about manipulation . '' He described Gerhartsreiter as a controlling man who was angry that his former wife , Sandra Boss , had moved with their daughter to London in December 2007 . According to testimony , Boss , a Harvard business school graduate and senior partner at McKinsey & Co. , a global management consulting company , took full custody of the child , giving her ex-husband $ 800,000 , two cars , her engagement ring and a dress he had bought her . She said she believed the fanciful stories her husband wove around his image as Clark Rockefeller and never saw any sign of mental illness . Denner asked how a successful businesswoman who was educated at Stanford and Harvard universities and made $ 1 million a year could fall for an impostor . `` There 's a big difference between intellectual intelligence and emotional intelligence , '' Boss explained . `` I 'm not saying I made a very good choice of a husband . It 's obvious I had a pretty big blind spot . '' `` He told compelling stories , '' she said . `` It seems stupid in hindsight , and it really was , but that is how it was . ... I lived with a person who told me a set of internally consistent things . '' `` I was completely traumatized , '' Boss said of the abduction . `` I was hysterical . ''", "question": "what prison sentence does he face", "answer": "four to five years in"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Throughout her career , singer-songwriter Cyndi Lauper has promoted gay and lesbian rights . She has a personal connection to this cause -- her sister is a lesbian -- but she also believes it 's a matter of fairness . Cyndi Lauper worked with Cathy Nelson of the Human Rights Campaign to raise awareness of LGBT issues . `` It 's always wrong to discriminate , '' the Grammy Award winner said . `` I grew up in the civil rights movement . It was wrong then , and it is wrong now . '' With her 2007 and 2008 `` True Colors '' tours , Lauper has helped raise awareness about lesbian , gay , bisexual and transgender rights around the country . She said fellow LGBT activist Cathy Nelson especially motivates her . Nelson worked at the Human Rights Campaign -LRB- HRC -RRB- , a national LGBT civil rights organization , and her dedication to those issues runs deep . Fighting for fairness and equality , she said , drives her . `` I 'm a lesbian , and I see the issues very personally , '' Nelson said . `` When it deep-down resonates that you do n't have the same rights and responsibilities , or people do n't view you the same , it can be demoralizing and empowering at the same time . '' Nelson 's passion for the cause has enabled her to inspire thousands of people across the country to get involved . When she was growing up in rural Illinois , Nelson said , she had n't imagined following this path . She trained to be a teacher , but on a whim , became a flight attendant with Eastern Airlines to fulfill her `` intense desire to travel . '' In the 1980s , she became involved with labor issues through her flight attendant union . That led to working on women 's issues with the National Organization of Women in Washington . In 1989 , she started working for the HRC . Since then , she has helped bring LGBT rights out of the closet and onto the national stage . Hired to increase the group 's membership , Nelson built a strong volunteer network in communities across the nation . HRC had just 12,000 members when Nelson started . Today it has more than 725,000 , making it the largest gay and lesbian rights organization in the country . `` Part of my job is getting people to be vocal , '' Nelson said . `` It 's important that everyone has an understanding that discrimination is happening every single day against a certain segment of society . And that 's just wrong . '' In 2007 , when Lauper worked with HRC for the `` True Colors '' tour , she and Nelson teamed up to bring gay and straight audiences together on fairness and equality issues . Nelson realized it was also an opportunity to shine the spotlight on an issue she 'd worked on for almost a decade -- the passage of a hate crimes bill that would make attacks based on sexual orientation , disability , or gender a federal crime . For Nelson , crimes against LGBT people -- such as the murder of Matthew Shepard -- represent the darkest side of ignorance on these issues . In 2006 , more than one in six hate crimes were committed against LGBT individuals , an 18 percent rise over the previous year , according to the FBI . `` I learned from Cathy that hate crimes send fear through a community , '' Lauper said . `` You could die just because of who you are . '' Watch Lauper and Nelson talk about the `` True Colors '' tour to raise awareness '' At every concert , Lauper spoke passionately about the need to pass the bill , and her song , `` True Colors , '' was used in a public service announcement about the legislation . HRC volunteers distributed information at each venue and had postcards on hand for people to send to their legislators . In the end , more than 15,000 people signed postcards , and both houses of Congress passed the bill by wide margins . Although President Bush never signed the bill , Nelson and Lauper have high hopes for it to soon become law . For Nelson , getting so many people engaged was a key achievement . `` The biggest reward for me is when I 've played some part in empowering someone to get involved , '' she said . Lauper knows first-hand how convincing Nelson can be . `` The fact that you can actually succeed and help people -- you really get that from her , '' she said . `` People like Cathy get all of us motivated . ''", "question": "Who helped the human rights campaign increase to 725,000 members ?", "answer": "Cathy Nelson"}, {"story_text": "NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An Oscar-winning songwriter was indicted on charges of sexually assaulting women whom he would fly in to New York under the impression they were auditioning for movie roles , the Manhattan District Attorney 's Office said Tuesday . Songwriter Joe Brooks is best known for writing `` You Light Up My Life '' and directing the movie . Joseph Brooks , 71 , faces multiple charges including rape , criminal sexual act , sexual abuse , forcible touching , assault , grand larceny and criminal mischief . The charges involve 11 women , authorities said . Brooks won the Oscar for best original song for the 1977 song , `` You Light Up My Life . '' He also directed the movie , which is about a director who has a one-night stand with an actress . `` I 'm flabbergasted , '' said actress Melanie Mayron , who starred in `` You Light Up My Life . '' Mayron said she did not stay in contact with Brooks over the years but described him as a `` lovely man . '' In the indictment , Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau alleges that Brooks would fly women in from California , Florida and Oregon for private auditions . He would serve the women one or two glasses of wine , said Lisa Friel , assistant district attorney . The women described feelings that suggest a date-rape drug was used , she said , but added that toxicology results were unclear . Shawni Lucier , Brooks ' personal assistant , was also charged with criminal facilitation in connection with arranging some of the encounters . Brooks pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Tuesday . Bail was set at $ 500,000 bond or $ 250,000 cash . The suspect agreed to the terms and left the courthouse . He is set to return Thursday morning and meet the bail agreement , said Jeffery C. Hoffman , his lawyer . Hoffman said some of the women who made the accusations were trying out for a role in a screenplay Brooks wrote . None of the girls was chosen for the part and may feel `` upset about that fact , '' the lawyer said . Hoffman said he is looking forward to proving his client 's innocence . `` All I can say is , my client is anxious to clear his name of these false charges , '' he added .", "question": "What office charged Brooks with rape ?", "answer": "Manhattan District Attorney 's"}, {"story_text": "BERLIN , Germany -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel defeated her foreign minister Sunday to win another four-year term , according to exit polls reported by German television network NTV . German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her husband , Joachim Sauer , vote Sunday in Berlin . NTV reported Merkel 's center-right Christian Democratic Union -LRB- CDU -RRB- party received 33.7 percent of the vote , based on exit poll projections . The polls show Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier 's center-left Social Democrats received 23.4 percent , the network reported . `` Not only are you happy , I am very happy as well , '' Merkel told cheering supporters at her headquarters . `` We 've accomplished something great . We 've done it . We 've reached our election goal , to retain a stable majority in Germany and a new government with a new coalition . '' The crowd chanted , `` Angie , Angie , Angie . '' Steinmeier , meanwhile , conceded what he called `` a bitter defeat '' for the Social Democrats . `` The voters have decided , and the result is a bad day , '' Steinmeier said in a speech to supporters . He thanked those who helped lead his campaign and those who supported him . The two parties currently are in a coalition , with Steinmeier as foreign minister . Few doubted that Merkel 's party would receive the most votes . The question was what kind of coalition will be formed -- another broad centrist one , across the political divide , or a more right-leaning one . Merkel favors cutting taxes to spur growth , while Steinmeier opposes tax breaks . The country is deep in debt . What 's at stake in the German election '' Voters chose members of the lower house of parliament , or Bundestag , who will pick the head of government . Each German had two votes -- one for a member of parliament representing a district and another for a political party . The election Sunday followed release of a threatening videos from al Qaeda and the Taliban warning Germans not to vote for leaders who want to keep the country 's troops in Afghanistan . Security was tightened at airports and train stations , and authorities on Saturday banned all flights over the Oktoberfest beer festival until it ends on October 4 . The annual event attracts about 6 million people . About 62 million people were eligible to vote , out of Germany 's population of 82 million . CNN 's Fred Pleitgen contributed to this report .", "question": "How much of the vote did the Christian Democratic Union get ?", "answer": "33.7 percent"}, {"story_text": "Montevideo , Uruguay -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Jose `` Pepe '' Mujica , a former Marxist Tupamaro guerrilla fighter , won Uruguay 's presidential runoff election Sunday , exit polls showed . Exit polls had Mujica defeating former president Luis Alberto Lacalle by a margin of 4 to 8 percentage points . Current Uruguayan President Tabare Vazquez confirmed the projection to reporters Sunday evening , and Lacalle conceded in a speech . The streets of the South American country 's capital were filled with Mujica 's supporters , who cheered and honked their horns . Mujica belongs to the same Broad Front Party as Vazquez , who is popular . Both men are considered leftists . Lacalle is considered more conservative . In a victory speech , Mujica said his administration will continue the policies of Vazquez . `` Tomorrow , the commitment continues , '' he said . Mujica , 74 , was imprisoned for 14 years and released in 1985 when democracy was restored to Uruguay after a 17-year dictatorship . He was minister of livestock and agriculture from 2005 to 2008 and is now a senator . Mujica has played down his connection with the Tupamaros , who were defeated in 1973 . In his victory speech Sunday , Mujica called for unity and asked his followers not to offend those who voted for other candidates during the first and second rounds of voting . His administration may make mistakes , but it will never turn its back to the problems facing the country , Mujica said . `` He is the man who talks and dresses austerely , '' analyst Gabriel Pereyra said of Mujica . `` He is the man who communicates and talks the language of the people . '' Analyst Rosario Queirolo describes Mujica as `` a person who somehow lives what he preaches and is an antipolitician in another way . '' `` He does n't very well fit the image of a president we have in Uruguay , '' Queirolo said . Uruguay is one of the smallest countries in South America , about the size of Washington state . But it is also considered one of the most economically developed . Located on South America 's southeastern coast , the country has a population of 3.5 million , 92 percent of whom live in urban areas . CNN en Espa\u00f1ol 's Dario Klein and CNN 's Arthur Brice contributed to this report .", "question": "Where is Mujica from ?", "answer": "Montevideo , Uruguay"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A five-year-old British boy who was kidnapped in Pakistan earlier this month has been found safe and is back with his relatives , the British High Commission said Tuesday . Sahil Saeed was released at a school in the Punjab province of Pakistan , said Assistant Chief Constable David Thompson of the Greater Manchester Police in England , near his parents ' residence in Oldham . From there , Sahil wandered into a field and was found by residents who looked after him until police arrived , Thompson said . Regional Pakistani police said Sahil was found near the town of Danga in Punjab province , close to where he was abducted March 3 . Sahil was in good condition , said Aslam Tareen , the head of the regional police . `` He is with members of family in Pakistan and the Pakistani police , and there is also contact from the British High Commission , '' Thompson said . He added that Sahil had already spoken to his mother and father in England by telephone and that both parents were `` clearly relieved '' to speak to their son . The High Commission issued a statement thanking police in Jhelum , another town in the eastern province of Punjab , for the boy 's return . `` This is fantastic news that brings to an end a traumatic ordeal faced by Sahil and his family , '' said Adam Thomson , the British high commissioner to Pakistan . Police arrested some of the kidnappers , said Rana Sanaullah , the provincial law minister . Sahil , a British citizen of Pakistani descent , was on the last day of a two-week vacation in Pakistan before he was to return home to Oldham , in northern England . Gunmen barged into Sahil 's grandmother 's home in Jhelum and took him . They reportedly demanded a ransom of 10 million rupees -LRB- $ 118,000 -RRB- . Pakistan 's Interior Minister Rehman Malik had said the captors included someone close to the family . `` There is someone who is very close to the family because the way the situation happened , the way the entry was made , '' Malik told reporters . But Tareen said Tuesday there is no evidence that any family member was involved . There was also no indication a ransom was paid , Tareen said . Sanaullah , the law minister , said the kidnappers were part of a ring that operated in and out of Pakistan . He did not elaborate . Thompson , of the Greater Manchester Police , could not comment on the possibility of arrests in England . `` At this stage there are no inquiries that we 're carrying out in the UK that would lead me to contemplate that we 'd make an arrest in the near future , '' he said .", "question": "how much was the ransom ?", "answer": "10 million rupees -LRB- $ 118,000"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Key structural changes have been identified in the brain images of some patients with mild cognitive impairment which could help determine who 's at greatest risk for developing Alzheimer 's disease . Researchers at the University of California , San Diego , studied MRI scans of 84 patients with Alzheimer 's disease , 175 patients with mild cognitive impairment , or MCI , and 139 images of healthy brains . `` Our initial goal was to locate similarities in the patients with Alzheimer 's disease to those with MCI , in the hopes of finding a method to predict -LSB- MCI patients ' -RSB- likelihood of developing the disease , '' said lead study author Linda McEvoy , assistant project scientist at UCSD 's department of radiology . Neuroimaging results for the patients with Alzheimer 's disease were as expected , according to the study , which was published online in the journal Radiology . Atrophy , which is loss of brain tissue , was visible throughout the brain . The temporal and parietal lobes , which affect cognitive function , saw the most damage . What surprised researchers were the differences in images from the MCI patients . More than 50 percent of the brains in the MCI group showed atrophy similar to the Alzheimer 's disease patients . The other half of the MCI patients showed only small amounts of tissue damage . Watch Dr. Gupta explain the findings '' `` Although the symptoms for the entire MCI group were primarily memory problems , other parts of the brain were impacted in over half the group , '' McEvoy said . `` And even though these patients -LSB- with Alzheimer 's - like atrophy -RSB- do n't have problems with their cognitive function now , their MCI will likely develop to that in the future . '' Researchers also evaluated the brains of the MCI group one year after initial testing . They found that patients who earlier had mild cognitive impairment plus signs of atrophy were getting worse . Twenty-nine percent of the group had since been diagnosed with Alzheimer 's disease and the others had begun to show signs of more serious cognitive decline . The condition of patients in the MCI group whose scans showed minimal signs of atrophy the previous year remained about the same . `` Only 8 percent of this group had developed Alzheimer 's disease . The rest of the patients were stable and their symptoms had not increased , '' McEvoy said . Bill Thies , chief medical and scientific officer for the Alzheimer 's Association , underscored the significance of these findings . `` What this study really shows is how different people with MCI can be , despite having similar symptoms . We can now use this information to create new treatments , '' he said . There are several drugs on the market that treat the symptoms of Alzheimer 's disease , but none that prevent its progression . Clinical trials may be able to use this data to select a better pool of candidates when testing new drugs . `` If they use a MCI patient with loss of brain tissue , someone who we now know is progressing fast towards Alzheimer 's disease , we 'd be able to quickly figure out if drug ` X ' is slowing things down or not helping at all , '' Thies added . In addition , researchers hope that within the next few years patients could regularly be tested by their physicians to determine their risk of developing Alzheimer 's . `` If nothing else it would be good information for their family members to have early on , to be better prepared for the future . '' McEvoy said . Over 5 million Americans have Alzheimer 's disease and an estimated three and a half million have mild cognitive impairment .", "question": "What kind of scan could identify those who will get Alzheimers ?", "answer": "MRI"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Olympic swimming champion Michael Phelps will not face criminal charges in connection with a November party at which he was photographed using a bong , a South Carolina sheriff said Monday . Michael Phelps admitted `` regrettable behavior '' after a photo of him using a bong was published . `` We do not believe we have enough evidence to prosecute anyone '' who was at the party in Columbia , South Carolina , Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott told reporters , adding that authorities are ending their investigation into Phelps . `` We had a photo , and we had him saying he was sorry for his inappropriate behavior , '' Lott said . `` That behavior could have been going to a party . ... He never said , ' I smoked marijuana . ' He never confessed to that . We did n't have physical evidence . We did n't have enough where we could go arrest him . '' Phelps , 23 , who won a record eight gold medals at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing , China , admitted `` regrettable behavior '' after a British newspaper published the photograph about two weeks ago . The tabloid News of the World showed Phelps using the bong during what it said was a November party at the University of South Carolina in Columbia . Watch the sheriff say he wo n't prosecute Phelps \u00c2 '' A bong is a device commonly used to smoke marijuana . University police and Columbia police both said they would not pursue charges against Phelps . Lott said he has not spoken to Phelps , but hopes the swimming champion has learned from his mistakes and is willing to share an anti-drug message with children . Phelps said Monday he had learned some `` important lessons '' from the incident . `` I 'm glad this matter is put to rest , '' he said in a written statement . `` But there are also some important lessons that I 've learned . For me , it 's all about recognizing that I used bad judgment and it 's a mistake I wo n't make again . For young people especially -- be careful about the decisions you make . One bad decision can really hurt you and the people you care about . `` I really appreciate the support my family and fans have shown me , and now I will move forward and dive back into the pool , having put this whole thing behind me . '' Watch Phelps acknowledge making ' a mistake ' \u00c2 '' Phelps told CNN affiliate WBAL in Baltimore , Maryland , `` This is something that I need to learn from , will learn from and have learned from . '' `` I know that a lot of people make mistakes , and the best way to learn from them is changing things , '' Phelps told WBAL . Lott said the photo that surfaced of Phelps put him and his department in a `` no-win situation . '' If he had ignored it , he said , he would have faced criticism , but he also was criticized for investigating . However , he said , the photo did initiate an investigation into goings-on at the home where the party took place , and some people were arrested on suspicion of drug possession . The home has been the focus of previous drug-related investigations , he said . He defended his investigation , saying , `` As a cop , my responsibility is to enforce the law , not to create it or ignore it . Marijuana in the state of South Carolina is illegal . ''", "question": "What was Michael Phelps holding that got him in trouble ?", "answer": "a bong"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A virus found in healthy Australian honey bees may be playing a role in the collapse of honey bee colonies across the United States , researchers reported Thursday . Honey bees walk on a moveable comb hive at the Bee Research Laboratory , in Beltsville , Maryland . Colony collapse disorder has killed millions of bees -- up to 90 percent of colonies in some U.S. beekeeping operations -- imperiling the crops largely dependent upon bees for pollination , such as oranges , blueberries , apples and almonds . The U.S. Department of Agriculture says honey bees are responsible for pollinating $ 15 billion worth of crops each year in the United States . More than 90 fruits and vegetables worldwide depend on them for pollination . Signs of colony collapse disorder were first reported in the United States in 2004 , the same year American beekeepers started importing bees from Australia . The disorder is marked by hives left with a queen , a few newly hatched adults and plenty of food , but the worker bees responsible for pollination gone . The virus identified in the healthy Australian bees is Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus -LRB- IAPV -RRB- -- named that because it was discovered by Hebrew University researchers . Although worker bees in colony collapse disorder vanish , bees infected with IAPV die close to the hive , after developing shivering wings and paralysis . For some reason , the Australian bees seem to be resistant to IAPV and do not come down with symptoms . Scientists used genetic analyses of bees collected over the past three years and found that IAPV was present in bees that had come from colony collapse disorder hives 96 percent of the time . But the study released Thursday on the Science Express Web site , operated by the journal Science , cautioned that collapse disorder is likely caused by several factors . `` This research give us a very good lead to follow , but we do not believe IAPV is acting alone , '' said Jeffery S. Pettis of the U.S. Department of Agriculture 's Bee Research Laboratory and a co-author of the study . `` Other stressors on the colony are likely involved . '' This could explain why bees in Australia may be resistant to colony collapse . `` There are no cases ... in Australia at all , '' entomologist Dave Britton of the Australian Museum told the Sydney Morning Herald last month . `` It is a Northern Hemisphere phenomenon . '' Bee ecology expert and University of Florida professor Jamie Ellis said earlier this year that genetic weakness bred into bees over time , pathogens spread by parasites and the effects of pesticides and pollutants might be other factors . Researchers also say varroa mites affect all hives on the U.S. mainland but are not found in Australia . University of Georgia bee researcher Keith S. Delaplane said Thursday the study offers a warning -- and hope . `` One nagging problem has been a general inability to treat or vaccinate bees against viruses of any kind , '' said Delaplane , who has been trying to breed bees resistant to the varroa mite . `` But in the case of IAPV , there is evidence that some bees carry genetic resistance to the disorder . This is yet one more argument for beekeepers to use honey bee stocks that are genetically disease - and pest-resistant . '' Bee researchers will now look for stresses that may combine to kill bees . `` The next step is to ascertain whether IAPV , alone or in concert with other factors , can induce CCD -LSB- colony collapse disorder -RSB- in healthy bees , '' said Ian Lipkin , director of the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health . Besides the Columbia and USDA researchers , others involved in the study released Thursday include researchers from Pennsylvania State University , the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture , the University of Arizona and 454 Life Sciences . E-mail to a friend", "question": "What is the value of US crops that bees pollinate", "answer": "15 billion worth of"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- As Gov. Rod Blagojevich 's impeachment trial proceedings got under way Monday , the embattled Illinois governor hit the media circuit , answering questions about Oprah , foul language and why he is n't resigning . Gov. Blagojevich appeared on CNN 's Larry King Live Monday night . Blagojevich appeared Monday on ABC 's `` Good Morning America '' and `` The View , '' and gave his first live prime-time interview on CNN 's `` Larry King Live . '' `` I 'm not guilty of any criminal wrongdoing , '' Blagojevich , who is accused of trying to sell President Obama 's former Senate seat , told King . `` I 'm entitled to a presumption of innocence . '' Blagojevich also further explained comments that he channeled major political figures who overcame adversity as he was being arrested . `` I 've been criticized for this , but I 'm not comparing myself to Dr. King or Nelson Mandela or Mahatma Gandhi , but I tried to reach in to history and imagine some inspiring figures that would have gone through something like I was going through for sustenance and inspiration . '' Blagojevich also said that he looks forward to the day when he can tell his story in full , rather than people judging him by snippets of conversation released to the media . Watch Blagojevich tell Larry King he 's done nothing wrong '' The governor said he is the victim of political enemies who want to raise taxes in Illinois . `` Snippets of conversations out of full context is unfair , '' Blagojevich told CNN . `` If the full context , all of the tapes are heard , you hear the story of someone trying to make decisions and maneuver for the best intentions of the people of Illinois . '' However , Blagojevich said he has not listened to the tapes in their entirety . He addressed the news that his lead attorney , Ed Jenson , is leaving his defense team . `` Look , I think lawyers like that want you to simply say nothing , and I 'm champing at the bit , dying to show my innocence . '' Blagojevich said his legal fees will be paid through campaign funds . Blagojevich did say he looked forward to calling witnesses -- including White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel ; Sen. Dick Durbin , D-Illinois ; and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid -- who had conversations with him about who should replace Barack Obama as the junior senator from Illinois . Blagojevich maintained the goal of the conversations was to get the best senator for the people of Illinois . `` There was a lot of exchanging of ideas , asking questions , exploring options -- including Oprah Winfrey -- but never , not ever did I have any intention of violating any criminal law , '' Blagojevich said . `` Never was this about selling any Senate seat for any kind of personal gain . '' On both of his ABC appearances and on CNN , Blagojevich explained why talk-show host Oprah Winfrey was a contender to fill Barack Obama 's former Senate seat . `` I was trying to think outside of the box . The idea came to me from a friend who suggested Oprah -- it was n't my idea , '' Blagojevich told CNN . `` I threw it around in conversation with senior staff and political advisers , who were all involved in this whole adventure we 're on . `` And among the things we talked about was the , you know , the unlikelihood she would be interested in it , because she has a bully pulpit that 's worldwide and more influence that U.S. senators combined -- all 100 of them . '' Winfrey said that she had no idea she was under consideration . She said she found out from best friend Gayle King , who called to tell her on Monday morning . Watch Oprah 's reaction '' Winfrey said she was `` amused by the whole thing '' but would have turned down the proposal had it been made . Blagojevich also said he was worried about how to present the offer to Winfrey without it looking like a gimmick . The governor said the talks never got to that point `` partly because I was interrupted on December 9 . '' Blagojevich and his chief of staff were arrested then on federal corruption charges , including allegations that the governor tried to trade or sell the Senate seat that became vacant after Obama was elected president . Blagojevich ended up picking former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris to replace Obama . iReport.com : Share your questions for Blagojevich The governor 's impeachment trial began Monday in the Illinois Senate . The Illinois House of Representatives impeached him earlier this month . Blagojevich has denied any wrongdoing . A 76-page criminal complaint against Blagojevich includes snippets of intercepted phone calls involving the governor 's alleged efforts to benefit from the Senate vacancy . Those conversations are laced with expletives . Asked on `` Larry King Live '' about his foul mouth , Blagojevich said , `` Had I known someone was listening , I would n't have used language like that . For those who might have been offended , I apologize . Again , I did n't know you were listening . '' He also defended his wife , Patti , saying he takes responsibility for any recordings of her using foul language because he may have rubbed off on her . `` I was raised in a big city in a tough neighborhood , and when you 're a kid growing up in a neighborhood like that , you would never say words like that in front of your mother . But when you 're out there at the schoolyard ... it 's just sort of the thing you do , '' he said . `` Unfortunately , you try to get rid of some of those habits ; you may have left the neighborhood , but part of that neighborhood never left you . '' In each of his media appearances Monday , Blagojevich maintained his innocence . He said the impeachment proceedings are unfair because he is unable to call witnesses . The governor said he is the victim of political enemies who want to raise taxes in Illinois . Asked by `` The View 's '' Barbara Walters why he does n't step down for the sake of his state and his dignity , Blagojevich said resigning would be `` the worst thing I could do . '' `` I 'm an innocent man who has not done anything wrong . And when you 're wrongfully accused and you 're not given the chance to properly defend yourself ... for me to resign would be to admit that I did something wrong , which I did not do . '' Blagojevich said resigning also would be a way for him to `` disgrace '' his children . iReport : Your questions for the governor `` So I 'm going to fight to the finish because there 's a bigger principle here and it 's this : Can a legislature take out a governor elected by the people two times without giving that governor a chance to confront witnesses , bring witnesses in and prove his innocence ? That 's what they are doing in Illinois , and that 's why I 'm here in New York -- because this is much bigger than me or Illinois . ''", "question": "What did Blagojevich do to get arrested ?", "answer": "trade or sell the Senate seat"}, {"story_text": "Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Transportation Security Administration Tuesday said it is launching a `` full review '' of an incident in which the agency posted on the Internet a sensitive manual outlining screening procedures for law enforcement officers , diplomats , prisoners , federal air marshals and others . In a statement Tuesday night , the TSA sought to minimize the impact of the unintentional release -- calling the document `` outdated , '' `` unclassified '' and unimplemented -- while saying that it took the incident `` very seriously , '' and `` took swift action '' when it was discovered . Congressional critics , meanwhile , lambasted the agency and called for an independent investigation . `` Undoubtedly , this raises potential security concerns across our transportation system , '' House Homeland Security Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson , D-Mississippi , and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee , D-Texas , wrote in a letter to TSA Acting Administrator Gale Rossides . Sen. Susan Collins , R-Maine , the ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee , called the release of the information `` shocking '' and reckless . `` This manual provides a road map to those who would do us harm , '' she said . At issue is a 93-page manual giving instruction to airport screeners on how to screen individuals . It also gives details on how screening is conducted and the limitations of X-ray machines . The TSA posted the manual on a Federal Business Opportunities Web site that provides information for government contractors and redacted sensitive parts . But the redacted information was not properly protected , and the information was restored by people familiar with the computer program . The TSA said the posted manual -- dated May 28 , 2008 , with an implementation date of June 30 , 2008 -- was never implemented and has been revised six times , although it did not elaborate on the extent of the revisions . `` While the document does demonstrate the complexities of checkpoint security , it does not contain information related to the specifics of everyday checkpoint screening procedures , '' the TSA said Tuesday . `` The traveling public should be assured that appropriate measures have been put in place to ensure the continued implementation of a strong security screening program , '' it said . The TSA said it removed the report as soon as it learned of the problem . But it was too late . The full , un-redacted version of the report appeared on at least one Web site on Sunday , and was even more widely distributed on Tuesday .", "question": "What did congressional critics call for ?", "answer": "an independent investigation"}, {"story_text": "LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A hearing to consider who will raise Michael Jackson 's three children has been delayed another week , while lawyers work to avoid a court battle over custody . Debbie Rowe said she married Michael Jackson to avoid the taboo of having childrien out of wedlock . The delay -- the third one this month -- was announced Friday afternoon by a Los Angeles County Superior Court spokesman . Debbie Rowe , Jackson 's ex-wife and mother of his two oldest children , has not publicly revealed whether she will challenge Katherine Jackson , his 79-year-old mother , for custody or visitation rights . Katherine Jackson gained temporary guardianship of her son 's children soon after his death last month . The two women have been working to `` privately and amicably resolve '' the matter since Jackson 's death , a Jackson family lawyer said . Rowe 's lawyer said this week that she was not asking the Jackson family for more money in exchange for dropping a possible custody challenge . A close friend of Rowe said she has been grieving Jackson 's death -- grief made more painful by paparazzi hounding her and media reports vilifying Rowe by depicting her as a heartless woman who would trade her kids for cash . `` Debbie 's a very caring , wonderful , warm person , '' said Marc Schaffel , who met first met Rowe when he worked for Jackson . `` She 's a very humble person . People , you know , do n't give her credit that she was a friend of Michael 's for over 30 years . '' Jackson and Rowe met when she was working as a nursing assistant in the Beverly Hills office of Jackson 's dermatologist , Dr. Arnold Klein . Rowe said in a 2003 interview , later obtained by ABC News , that she became closer to Jackson in 1996 when she consoled him after his brief marriage to Lisa Marie Presley ended . `` He was upset because he really wanted to be a dad , '' Rowe said . `` I said , ` So , be a dad . ' He looked at me puzzled . That is when I looked at him and said . ` Let me do this . I want to do this . You have been so good to me . You are such a great friend . Please let me do this . You need to be a dad , and I want you to be . ' '' She told the interviewer they married in 1996 only to `` prevent some of the taboo of a child out of wedlock . '' While Schaffel would not say if their relationship was sexual , he said Rowe had `` a true , true love there for Michael . '' Their first child , Michael Joseph Jackson Jr. , was born in February 1997 . A daughter , Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson , was born the next year . Details of how the children were conceived and who was the biological father have been closely guarded amid much public speculation . The couple divorced in 1999 with Rowe giving Jackson full custody while she got a $ 8.5 million settlement , according to court documents . Jackson later agreed to additional support . Rowe gave up parental rights to Jackson in 2001 , but she changed her mind more than two years later and sought temporary custody of the children . A California appeals court later ruled her rights were improperly terminated , opening the door to a possible custody battle . Rowe claimed in the 2003 interview that she still had `` some influence '' over how Jackson raised the children , citing his practice of covering their faces in public as her idea . `` That was my request , not his , '' she said . `` I am the one who 's terrified . I am the one who 's seen the notes that someone 's going to take his children , '' she said . She said the children do n't call her `` mom '' because she did not want them to . `` It 's not that they 're not my children , but I had them because I wanted him to be a father , '' she said . Rowe , 50 , lives on a farm in Palmdale , California , about 60 miles north of Los Angeles , where she breeds horses and dogs . `` She spends time with all of her horses and her dogs , '' Schaffel said . `` If one of her horses is sick , Debbie will stay up all night long caring for them . She 'll sleep on the floor in the barn with a horse if he 's not well . `` Debbie does n't run out to all of the social events , '' he said . `` You do n't see her shopping on Rodeo Drive . She 's not hitting the hot spots . She 's not trying to be in the limelight . Debbie is just as happy at home in her very modest , humble , horse ranch . '' When Hollywood 's paparazzi surrounded her outside a restaurant near her ranch earlier this month , she showed flashes of anger and frustration . `` Are you ready to fight for your kids ? '' a photographer repeatedly shouted . `` Are you ready to get your butt kicked ? '' she replied , as she walked through the swarm . Schaffel said Rowe wants privacy and she 's `` just trying to go on with her life . '' `` She does n't react well with the paparazzi , '' he said . Rowe 's lawyers have stepped up their efforts to bolster her public image by firing off warning letters and demanding retractions when they see reports they think are wrong . One letter sent Tuesday demanded the New York Post retract its report that Rowe had agreed to drop her custody claims for $ 4 million . `` Ms. Rowe has not accepted -- and will not accept -- any additional financial consideration beyond the spousal support she and Michael Jackson personally agreed to several years ago , '' Eric George said in the letter . `` Among the several contenders for overzealous and inaccurate sensationalism , the New York Post has now seized top honors , '' George wrote to the paper . `` It would be easier to identify those few background facts that are accurate than to catalog the number of blatant falsehoods in your story . '' `` The Post stands by its story , '' New York Post Editor-in-Chief Col Allan told CNN . Rowe also filed a lawsuit this week against a woman who claimed in a TV interview to have e-mails from Rowe saying she did n't really want to raise the children . The suit asked that Rowe be given any money paid to the woman for the interview . CNN 's Kay Jones contributed to this report .", "question": "What are Jackson and Rowe working to avoid ?", "answer": "a court battle over custody"}, {"story_text": "High blood pressure is truly a silent killer . In fact , a heart attack or stroke may be the first sign that you even have a problem . That 's why it 's so important to get your blood pressure checked every time you go to the doctor -- especially if you 're a woman . High blood pressure can lead to stroke , kidney problems , heart trouble and other conditions . About 35 million American women have high blood pressure , and a third of them do n't know it . In part , experts say , the increase comes just because women are living longer and doctors are paying more attention to the problem . But less-benign factors -- such as the exploding use of anti-inflammatory medicines -LRB- which make your body retain salt -RRB- and ever-increasing waistlines -- may be at play in what the American Heart Association calls a rise in uncontrolled hypertension in women . Fortunately , there are many ways to control your blood pressure , even without medication . And just knowing your numbers is half the battle , says Dan Jones , M.D. , president of the AHA . But that does n't mean fighting high blood pressure is a cinch . Here are the stories of three women whose high blood pressure took them by surprise . Think about them the next time that cuff goes around your arm . Erin O'Connell Peiffer , 45 While Peiffer experienced hypertension during all three of her pregnancies , her blood pressure always returned to normal after each birth . Later , as she juggled working and caring for her young children , the thin , nonsmoking telecommunications executive who lives outside of Baltimore , Maryland , considered herself healthy -LRB- except for her high cholesterol -RRB- . Then one day about seven years ago , she could n't stop coughing during a water aerobics class . A month later , she was shocked to find out that she had congestive heart failure and pulmonary edema , or swelling of the lungs . High blood pressure was behind the problems . Following open-heart surgery to repair a 99 percent blockage in her left main coronary artery , Peiffer was terminated from her job because of her illness and went on disability . She has n't worked in seven years because of chronic chest pain and other conditions . Learn some tricks to lower your blood pressure Looking back , she remembers that in her 20s , her blood pressure was elevated when she was first found to have high cholesterol . `` They said it was white-coat hypertension -LSB- the idea that just being in a medical office can drive blood pressure up -RSB- , '' Peiffer says . `` No one said , ` Hey , you need to exercise , ' or anything . '' So she did n't . Now she 's on two blood pressure medications -- an ACE inhibitor that lowers levels of blood vessel-tightening chemicals and a beta-blocker that slows heart rate -- and her pressure 's normal . Daily two-mile walks help , too . `` Get a baseline number , and keep an eye on it , '' she says . `` Take care of yourself first so you can be there to take care of your children . '' Carolyn J. Daniels , 43 On the way to a regular medical checkup last year , Daniels , an Atlanta , Georgia-area marketing director , was in good spirits . Her weight was under control at 145 pounds , and she thought she was healthy . Her blood pressure had been slightly elevated at past checkups , but she had never been told to do anything about it . This time was different . Her reading was 160 over 100 , and she remembers her doctor saying , `` You 're like a firecracker -- ready to pop . '' Daniels was petrified : `` I thought I was going to die . '' Her doctor put her on blood pressure medication immediately . Read which 10 foods are best for your heart Now she takes a beta-blocker and a calcium channel blocker , which also relaxes blood vessels . To stay healthy , she and her husband walk every other evening after dinner . The hardest part ? Giving up the fried foods she loves . `` Every now and then , I 'll cheat and have some fried chicken over at my sister 's house , '' she confesses . But she 's learned to broil , bake , and stir-fry tomatoes , collards , cabbage , and other vegetables . Daniels is among the 43 percent of African-American women who have hypertension . The risk for African-Americans is much higher than for Asians or whites , although it 's not clear why . Daniels thinks there is only one way to cope : `` I felt fine , but that ' s not good enough . It 's especially important for African-American women to go to a doctor routinely . That 's the only way you 're going to know you have it . '' Antoinette Trammell , 50 Even though her mother had hypertension , Trammell , a hospital human resources specialist in Richmond , Virginia , did n't think about her family medical history 20 years ago when she started having headaches and blurred vision -- two of the very rare symptoms of high blood pressure . Then one of the hospital 's nurse managers took Trammell 's blood pressure and sent her straight to a cardiologist . Read who is at risk of high blood pressure Her blood pressure is now under control thanks to an ACE inhibitor , a diuretic , and some overdue diet changes . She 's trying to lose weight -- hoping to drop 30 pounds -- and the self-professed saltaholic has cut way back on her favorite foods . `` Potato chips , fries , all those good things , '' Trammell says . `` I could literally put salt in my hand and eat it . '' Too much salt makes many people retain water , which increases blood volume and puts more pressure on arteries . The diuretic also helps break that cycle . Why was n't Trammell more active in controlling her risks at a younger age ? Probably because she grew up on a farm , and her parents rarely saw a doctor . Her mother died at age 80 in 2002 after a stroke and heart attack . `` Now I make sure to have my blood pressure checked once a week , '' Trammell says . `` This is n't a condition that I can just take care of when I have the time . '' Try a FREE TRIAL issue of Health - CLICK HERE !", "question": "What percentage of African-American women have hypertension ?", "answer": "43 percent"}, {"story_text": "NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Brittany Zimmerman , a 21-year-old college student who wanted to be a doctor , called 911 as she was being attacked by a stranger , police say . Brittany Zimmerman 's screams and struggle for her life were captured by a 911 tape . But the police did not come for 48 minutes . By that time , Zimmerman was dead . Her fiance found her body . Although the dispatcher claimed later to have heard nothing , the 911 tape captured screams , gasps and what sounds like a struggle , according to the court documents . Spring was in the air when college student Zimmerman returned April 2 from classes at the University of Wisconsin to the off-campus apartment she shared with her fiance , Jordan Gonnering . He was out when she arrived home . He discovered her body when he returned . Zimmerman had been stabbed multiple times in her chest , near her heart . She 'd also been beaten and strangled , according to warrants released recently . Watch an update on the case '' Zimmerman managed to call 911 at 12:20 p.m. . The call was taken by the Dane County 911 center and an internal investigation revealed the dispatcher did not hear any sounds that would signal an emergency . Because of that , police were not sent to the apartment until 48 minutes after Zimmerman made the call . Her fiance was already there . Dane County has taken some harsh criticism from the public regarding the delay , and tough questions have been raised about whether a prompt response might have saved Zimmerman 's life . Police are still looking for her killer . `` We are working diligently on this case , have generated significant leads , and are making progress , '' said Joel De Spain of the Madison Police Department . The police said they believe Zimmerman was attacked by a stranger . Her apartment door showed signs of forced entry . After interviews with Zimmerman 's family , friends and acquaintances , investigators determined there was no personal motive for the attack . `` In fact , we have not been able to determine any motive yet in this case , '' De Spain said . He emphasized that police have no reason to believe Zimmerman was the victim of a serial killer . During the investigation , police have tracked leads pointing to vagrants in Zimmerman 's off-campus neighborhood . The vagrants often would knock on doors and beg for money . `` We are still investigating this avenue , but at this time we have not been able to develop any specific suspects , '' De Spain said . Zimmerman 's family and friends describe her as a loving , warm young woman , who had much to look forward to . She was engaged to the love of her life and had dreams of earning a medical degree , they said . She was idealistic , and her goal was to help people , not to earn a large salary , they said . Other details in the released warrants reveal that Zimmerman was murdered in her bedroom , that her cell phone was found in `` parts , '' and that her bloody slippers and bloody computer paper were recovered . The murder weapon is described as a knife , two to five inches long . Police are not saying whether they have recovered it . DNA was collected from Zimmerman 's body , as well as hair , blood samples , footprints and fingerprints . So far , no match has been made to a suspect . Zimmerman 's family is offering a $ 14,000 reward , and Crime Stoppers is offering $ 1,000 for tips leading to the arrest and/or conviction of anyone responsible for Zimmerman 's death . Please call the tip line at 608-266-6014 .", "question": "How long did it take for police to respond ?", "answer": "48 minutes"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Some Democrats appear to be wavering on a highly contentious House resolution labeling Turkey 's treatment of Armenians in World War I as genocide . A KC-135 tanker lands at Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey in 2003 . Turkey , a longtime U.S. ally and NATO partner , was incensed by the resolution calling the killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks genocide and threatened to block access to Incirlik Air Base after the resolution passed a House committee vote . The base , in southern Turkey near Syria , is a major resupply center for U.S. operations in Iraq and elsewhere in the Mideast and Asia . The Pentagon is preparing to set up new supply routes for troops in Iraq if Turkey cuts off U.S. access to the strategically important Incirlik , military officials said Tuesday . Ankara acknowledges the killings of Armenians during World War I but vehemently objects to the `` genocide '' label . The House Foreign Affairs Committee last week adopted the nonbinding resolution . House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she would bring the measure to a vote of the full House sometime next month . But the Bush administration urged Congress to drop the issue , and some leading Democrats urged Pelosi not to bring it to the floor . Majority Leader Steny Hoyer signaled Tuesday that the vote might be put off . `` I said I thought we would bring this up prior to us leaving here , '' said Hoyer of Maryland . `` I have not changed on that , although I would be less than candid to say that there are a number of people who are revisiting their own positions . We will have to determine where everybody is . '' Democratic Rep. Ike Skelton , the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee , announced his opposition to the resolution last week . And Democratic Reps. Alcee Hastings of Florida and John Tanner of Tennessee , both members of the U.S. House delegation to NATO , urged Pelosi to reconsider in a letter released Tuesday . `` More than half of the cargo flown into Iraq and Afghanistan comes through Incirlik Air Base , and this base would be a key component of any plans for redeployment of our troops in the future , '' they wrote . Lt. Gen. Carter Ham , the director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff , said Pentagon planners are looking at `` a broad range of options '' to keep food , fuel and ammunition flowing to U.S. troops in Iraq if Turkey blocks Incirlik . `` We 're confident that we 'll find ways to do that , '' Ham told reporters at the Pentagon . `` There 's likely to be some increased cost and some other implications for that , and obviously we 'd prefer to maintain the access that we have . '' Defense Secretary Robert Gates echoed lawmakers ' concerns last week . `` About 70 percent of all air cargo going into Iraq goes through Turkey . ... About a third of the fuel that they consume goes through Turkey or comes from Turkey , '' Gates said . He also said that 95 percent of the Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protective vehicles , or MRAPs , being deployed in Iraq are flown through Turkey . The vehicles are built to withstand roadside bombs . See Incirlik 's key location '' The U.S. military issued a `` warning order '' a few days ago to ensure that alternative air crews , planes , fuel and routes are lined up if Turkey stops or restricts U.S. access to Incirlik , a source said . Jordan and Kuwait are among the alternatives the United States is considering . Some fear pursuit of the resolution would also embolden the Turks to attack Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq which could further complicate Iraqi stability , U.S. officials said . Incirlik offers 10,000 - and 9,000-foot runways and 57 hardened aircraft shelters , according Globalsecurity.org , a source of background information about military issues . Globalsecurity said Incirlik has become a hub for cargo shipments to Iraq , taking over for Rhein-Main Air Base in Germany because it is closer to Iraq , reducing the strain on troops and aircraft . E-mail to a friend CNN 's Barbara Starr and Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report .", "question": "What air base is a key point for US military supply ?", "answer": "Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey"}, {"story_text": "ROME , Italy -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A U.N. report says hunger is on the rise globally and blames higher food prices . Populations within conflict zones such as the Democratic Republic of Congo are particularly vulnerable . The Food and Agriculture Organization has issued preliminary estimates classifying 963 million people as undernourished -- an increase of 40 million people over the past year . `` One out of seven people -- about 15 percent -- suffer chronically of not having enough to eat , '' said Mark Smulders , an FAO economist . The hunger report -- titled `` The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2008 '' -- said the world 's financial and economic problems could throw more people into poverty . The number of hungry had been increasing over the years before the rise in food prices , with warfare and political instability continuing to be among the factors causing poverty . The preliminary estimates lack a firm country breakdown , but last year 's figures are an accurate measure of where the problems are . About 907 out of 923 million undernourished people in 2007 , or 65 percent of the hungry , live in India , China , the war-wracked Democratic Republic of Congo , Bangladesh , Indonesia , Pakistan and Ethiopia . Smulders said about 27 percent of the world 's hungry live in India and 15 percent in China . The other countries each represent 4 to 5 percent of the world 's total . There has been progress in fighting hunger in the Asian nations of Thailand and Vietnam , and in the sub-Saharan African nations of Ghana , Republic of Congo , Nigeria , Mozambique and Malawi , the report said . Food prices have declined from their peak earlier in the year , but they are staying high compared to other years , the agency said . The Food and Agriculture Organization 's food price index was 28 percent higher in October than it was two years before . `` Prices of major cereals have fallen by over 50 percent from their peaks earlier in 2008 but they remain high compared to previous years , '' the FAO said . The agency said the `` rural and urban poor , landless farmers and female-headed households are the worst hit by high food prices . '' -- CNN 's Joe Sterling contributed to this report .", "question": "How many people are undernourished in the world ?", "answer": "963 million"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In a Nairobi slum , more than one in four children under 5 will die , but in a wealthier part of the Kenyan capital , the mortality rate is one in almost 67 , according to a World Health Organization report released Tuesday . A woman lies next to her sick child at a medical center in Sheshemene , Ethiopia , in July . The World Health Report 2008 aims to spotlight disparities in health care across the globe , and as the Nairobi example illustrates , the differences exist not only between the First and Third Worlds -- they can occur just across town . WHO roundly criticizes the organization , finance and delivery of health care and calls advances in the field `` deeply and unacceptably unequal , with many disadvantaged populations increasingly lagging behind or even losing ground . '' The report says that a citizen of a wealthy nation can live up to 40 years longer than someone in a poor country , and of the 136 million women who will give birth this year , about 58 million -LRB- 43 percent -RRB- will receive no medical assistance during childbirth or the postpartum period . UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman said the sharp inequities in the cost and access to health care often speak to larger societal ills . `` High maternal , infant and under-five mortality often indicates lack of access to basic services such as clean water and sanitation , immunizations and proper nutrition , '' she said in a statement . WHO Director-General Margaret Chan insists the dilemma is not just a matter of haves versus have-nots . `` A world that is greatly out of balance in matters of health is neither stable nor secure , '' she said in a statement from Almaty , Kazakhstan , where the report was released . The difference in annual government expenditures on health care is more canyon than gap , according to the report . While the wealthiest nations dole out as much as $ 6,000 per person each year , some countries are unable or unwilling to spend more than $ 20 per person . However , while calling for wide-ranging reforms in the delivery of primary health care , the report notes that it is n't always a matter of government expenditures . Tajikistan and Sierra Leone both spend less than $ 100 per person on health care . But while the health-adjusted life expectancy in Sierra Leone is under 30 years of age , Tajikistan 's is almost 70 -- a figure comparable to the United States , which spends more than $ 2,500 a person on health care . `` When countries at the same level of economic development are compared , those where health care is organized around the tenets of primary health care produce a higher level of health for the same investment , '' the report says . WHO defines primary health care as being `` universally accessible to individuals and families in the community by means acceptable to them , through their full participation and at a cost that the community and country can afford . '' The organization 's report -- titled `` Primary Health Care -- Now More Than Ever '' -- calls for a move toward universal coverage to reverse a trend over the last 30 years in which disparities in the levels of health care have actually widened . Universal coverage , the report says , would lower the risks of disease outbreaks for everyone , not just the impoverished . Currently , the most common means of paying for health care is out of pocket , which WHO says is the `` most inequitable method for financing health care services . '' The report says more than 100 million people fall into poverty in a given year because of health care bills . Another problem , the report says , is that doctors tend not to focus on prevention . `` Rather than improving their response capacity and anticipating new challenges , health systems seem to be drifting from one short-term priority to another , increasingly fragmented and without a clear sense of direction , '' according to the report . But the report also handed out accolades , most notably to Iran and Cuba . WHO applauded the Islamic Republic 's 17,000 `` health houses , '' which serve about 1,500 people each . The report credited the centers with boosting Iranians ' life expectancy from 63 to 71 years between 1990 and 2006 . And in Cuba , the nation 's `` polyclinics '' have yielded one of the longest life expectancies -LRB- 78 years -RRB- of any developing country , the report says . The report called for all sectors of society to help determine how health care is allocated , and it singled out the United States for spending just 0.1 percent of its health budget on health systems research -- the kind of research that policymakers use to decide how money is spent . The report also points to the pharmaceutical industry 's impact on health care in the United States , where the average expenditure on prescription drugs in 2005 was $ 1,141 per person -- twice the average in Canada , Germany and Britain , and 10 times the average in Mexico . To combat the problems facing global health care , WHO says in its report that nations must improve coverage and delivery , as well as policy and leadership . It acknowledges that primary health care is n't cheap , but asserts that the `` investment provides better value for money than its alternatives . '' `` The legitimacy of health authorities increasingly depends on how well they assume responsibility to develop and reform the health sector according to what people value -- in terms of health and of what is expected of health systems in society , '' the report says .", "question": "What country is applauded for finding ways to improve health care ?", "answer": "Iran and Cuba"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- And they 're off ! Tens of millions of Americans are on the move for the annual November trek to see family and friends , feast on turkey and pumpkin pie , and rediscover the joys of their hometown on Thanksgiving . You probably know the drill : packed airports , crowded flights and lots of out-of-state license plates on the road . All eyes are on the weather , which can turn a simple trip into a nightmare -- cue visions of Steve Martin and John Candy struggling to get to snowy Chicago in `` Planes , Trains and Automobiles . '' Should you recline your seat ? The etiquette of crowded flying Travelers faced stormy conditions in the Pacific Northwest , the threat of floods and severe storms in the South , lots of rain in the Northeast and the possibility of snow in parts of New England . On Tuesday afternoon , weather-related flight delays were reported at airports including Philadelphia International , O'Hare , Newark International , LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy International . Check FAA flight delay information But the threat of bad weather is not keeping people home . AAA projects that 42.5 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles during the Thanksgiving weekend , an increase of 4 % from last year . Slightly fewer people are choosing to get to their destinations by plane . About 23.2 million travelers will fly over a 12-day period surrounding Turkey Day , a 2 % drop from last year , according to a forecast by the Air Transport Association of America . Unlike last year , when the `` National Opt-Out Day '' movement against airport body scanners threatened to snarl security lines across the country , air travelers are not facing the prospect of protest-induced delays . -LRB- The Opt-Out Day turned out to be a non-event . -RRB- The TSA says it 's preparing its work force for a `` smooth holiday travel experience for travelers . '' iReport : Tell us how your trip is going The busiest air travel days for the Thanksgiving holiday period are expected to be Sunday , November 27 , and Monday , November 28 , the Air Transport Association of America said . If you 're flying into or out of Los Angeles International , Chicago 's O'Hare International or Orlando International , brace yourself for lots of company . Those will be the nation 's busiest airports this Thanksgiving , based on flight bookings , according to Orbitz.com . -LRB- And in case you 're wondering , Mineta San Jose International in California and Kahului Airport in Maui , Hawaii , will be the least busy . -RRB- No matter where you start your journey , flight attendants say , it 's a week when they see lots of extra-grumpy passengers worried about flight delays and cancellations . `` There 's a little bit more at stake . Oftentimes , people are trying to get someplace to be with their family , so naturally they would be upset if they 're not going to make it , '' said Rene Foss , a veteran flight attendant for a major U.S. airline . `` However , in general , it 's also kind of a festive time . Sometimes , contrary to what you might think , people are in a good mood because they are going for something kind of fun as opposed to just a business meeting or something related to work . '' Flying with food or gifts ? Check out the TSA 's guide to what you can and can not bring through an airport security checkpoint . The agency reminds you not to wrap gifts you are taking on the plane because security officers may have to unwrap them if they need to take a closer look . The TSA also offers tips on how to get through the security line faster , including packing coats and jackets in checked bags whenever possible and putting your shoes directly on the conveyor belt instead of a bin when they go through the X-ray machine . Then , there are things you ca n't control : Snow , fog or rain may mean you wo n't fly on time or at all . To avoid being stuck at the airport , sign up for airline alerts and check your flights frequently online before you leave home . If your flight is canceled , get in line for assistance and try your airline by phone or online at the same time to get an edge over other fliers who are trying to rebook . Winter weather travel tips If you 're driving through an area that 's expecting wintry weather , AAA recommends that you keep at least half a tank of gas in your car at all times and pack a cell phone , plus blankets , gloves , hats , food , water and any needed medication in case you 're stranded . Stay safe out there , and happy travels .", "question": "What number of Americans will travel at least 50 miles this Thanksgiving ?", "answer": "42.5 million"}, {"story_text": "ORANGE COUNTY , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- One of the larger fires in Southern California was deliberately started by someone with apparent knowledge of arson , a fire official said Thursday . Firefighter Luke Perisin sets a backfire Wednesday against the Santiago Fire in Live Oak Canyon , California . The Santiago Fire in Orange County was started in two places along a little-traveled road , according to Chief Chip Prather of the county 's fire authority . The fire , which has burned more than 25,000 acres , was started in brush just off Santiago Canyon Road , not close to homes . It spread rapidly , indicating the arsonist had some knowledge of winds and other factors . `` It is a confirmed arson . There was evidence found at the scene . That is the purpose of our early declaration of it being an arson-caused fire , '' Prather said . He would not describe the evidence . Watch how the evidence points to arson '' Prather said officials originally thought the fire had three points of origin instead of two . The Santiago Fire 's points of origin are considered crime scenes , said Jim Amornino , a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff 's Department . The reward for information leading to an arrest has increased to $ 250,000 -- $ 50,000 each from the governor 's office , the U.S. agency of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives , and the FBI , Prather said . KFI radio has chipped in another $ 100,000 , the sheriff 's department said . The state established a toll-free arson tip line at 800-540-7085 . Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said anyone convicted of arson would be dealt with harshly . If a suspect is to be found , `` it 's going to be by a clue from the public , '' said county Sheriff Mike Corona . About 1,100 firefighters were working on controlling the Santiago Fire , which has destroyed at least 22 structures , according to Orange County Fire Battalion Chief Kris Concepcion . The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said the fire was only 30 percent contained Thursday morning after being 50 percent contained the day before . Watch the Santiago flames rage '' The motive of the Santiago Fire 's arsonist was a mystery to Concepcion . `` That 's the part that I really ca n't figure out , to tell you the truth , '' he told CNN . `` That individual knew on Sunday when this fire started that we had , really , the perfect storm , if you will . We had the heavy Santa Ana winds , we had the low relative humidities , we had the high temperatures . `` And then for someone to even think about doing something as reprehensible as starting a fire where they knew the fire would grow as rapidly as it would -- traveling about three , 3 1/2 miles in about an hour -- is just really absolutely unconscionable , '' he said . The smaller Rosa Fire in Riverside County , 100 percent contained at 411 acres Thursday morning , was also probably arson , state officials said . Meanwhile , Los Angeles Fire Department investigators are looking into whether a man who was arrested on suspicion of arson in the San Fernando Valley may have had a role in any of the ongoing blazes , an L.A. police spokeswoman said . Catalino Pineda , 41 , was arrested Wednesday , Officer Kate Lopez told CNN . Witnesses told police they saw him lighting a fire on a hillside in the West Hills area of San Fernando -- northwest of Los Angeles -- then walking away , Lopez said . Pineda was already on probation for `` making excessive false emergency reports '' to police at the time of the arrest , Lopez said . His bail has been set at $ 75,000 , she said . The fire he allegedly set was brought under control , but now authorities want to find out if he had any role in the other wildfires . In San Bernardino County , John Alfred Rund , 48 , was arrested Tuesday evening and charged with setting a small fire along a rural roadside near Victorville . Rund was to be arraigned Thursday morning in Victorville . He was being held in lieu of $ 750,000 bail . The county 's district attorney 's office on Thursday also filed arson charges against Anthony Riperti , 47 , of Redlands . A statement from the office did not say when or where Riperti is accused of setting a fire . He is being held on $ 250,000 bail and will be arraigned later Thursday . The San Diego County Sheriff 's Department also arrested an adult and a juvenile accused by an anonymous tipster of starting a fire in Vista in the northern part of the county . In a written statement , the sheriff 's department identified the adult as Gorgonio Nava . The Vista Fire Department extinguished the blaze before it grew out of control , the statement said . Investigators have determined that the Grass Valley Fire in San Bernardino County was not caused by arson , and a preliminary investigation into the cause of the 10,152-acre Slide Fire seems to indicate arson was not a factor , sheriff 's spokeswoman Cindy Beaver said . E-mail to a friend", "question": "What is the size of the santiago fire ?", "answer": "25,000 acres"}, {"story_text": "DENDERMONDE , Belgium -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Authorities have charged a 20-year-old man with murder and attempted murder in a stabbing rampage at a Belgian nursery school that left two children and a staff member dead and a dozen others wounded . A family pays tribute Friday evening outside the nursery school in Dendermonde , Belgium . The regional prosecutor 's office identified the man , who has been in custody since Friday , as Kim D. , and would not release his last name . They said he lives alone in Sinaai , a city about 20 kilometers -LRB- 12 miles -RRB- outside of Dendermonde . He has no police record and is unemployed , the office said . Authorities allege the man , whose face was painted white with black rings around his eyes , entered the Fabeltjesland -LRB- Fable Land -RRB- nursery school midmorning Friday and began stabbing those inside . He entered the building through a side door , typically only used by parents who are late in arriving to pick up their children from the school , authorities said . Once inside , he went through several rooms in the center . The dead included the head of the nursery , a woman in her 60s who was well known in the town , residents said . The other victims were young ; the nursery cared for children up to the age of three . Watch report on attack '' Authorities caught up with him about an hour-and-a-half later after the attack ended , the ministry said . At the time of his arrest , he had on him a knife , an ax and a fake pistol . He was wearing a bullet-proof vest , authorities said . Two other knives were found at the nursery school , but it has not been confirmed whether they were used in the attack . Kim D. has said nothing to authorities regarding the attack , the prosecutor 's office said . Authorities have searched his home , but they did not release any information from the search . Watch description of what happened '' The suspect , who is being held in jail , is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday morning . The judge has assigned three doctors to monitor him , authorities said . Earlier , authorities said he was not registered with any psychiatric institution . Dendermonde , about 16 miles northwest of Brussels , is a tight-knit community of about 40,000 people , residents said . Fabeltjesland lies off a park and is not easy to find from the road . On Saturday , the nursery stood quiet and boarded up , with tributes of flowers , cuddly toys and cards left outside .", "question": "What was the suspect carrying ?", "answer": "knife , an ax and a fake pistol"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Barack Obama 's presidential transition , already disrupted by the sudden withdrawal of New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson , may face another challenge in the confirmation hearings of his pick for attorney general . Eric Holder likely will face a grueling round of questions from Republicans during his confirmation hearings . While the Senate is expected to easily confirm the majority of the president-elect 's Cabinet appointments , it increasingly appears that attorney general designate Eric Holder could face a grueling round of questions next week from Senate Republicans who are already emboldened by charges of `` pay-to-play '' politics against Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and a federal investigation into Richardson , who Obama picked as his commerce secretary . `` Republicans are seeing enough different stories in the taints of possible corruption around Democratic politicians lately , '' said Alexander Keyssar , a professor of history and social policy at the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government . `` Where they can score some political points around this corruption issue , they will try to do it . '' Holder has drawn heavy criticism from Republicans over his involvement in former President Bill Clinton 's last-minute pardon of Mark Rich , a major Democratic donor and billionaire financier charged with federal tax evasion . Clinton pardoned Rich in the final hours of his administration on January 20 , 2001 . Holder was a deputy attorney general at the time . Senate Democrats have long braced for a tough committee hearing over Holder , especially after Republicans successfully delayed its start to obtain more time to review his lengthy record in both the public and private sector . But after Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter , the judiciary committee 's ranking Republican , unexpectedly took to the Senate floor Tuesday to castigate Holder over a wide range of issues -- even comparing him to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales who was forced to resign -- Democrats may have to brace for a tougher fight than they expected . `` President-elect Obama chose not to seek my advice or even to give me advance notice in my capacity as ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee , '' Specter said . `` Had he done so , I could have given him some facts about Mr. Holder 's background that he might not have known . '' Stephen Hess , a presidential scholar at the Brookings Institution , said it 's not surprising Republicans are targeting a particular appointment . `` There always seems to be one appointee where the Senate opposition directs its firepower , '' Hess said . `` This year the designated fall guy seems to be Eric Holder . He 's going to be made to grovel . '' Holder played a significant role in the heavily criticized Rich pardon , having communicated with Rich 's lawyers frequently before it was issued , according to the New York Times . Critics have charged that the Justice Department should have blocked the pardon , and Holder later said he wished he had handled the matter differently . Supporters of Holder say his role in the pardon was limited , but Senate Republicans , seemingly eager for at least one high-profile fight with the incoming president , are set to put the Rich pardon front-and-center when his Judiciary Committee hearing kicks off next week . For a Republican Party still reeling from a demoralizing Election Day , Holder 's hearing will likely be the GOP 's first chance to put heat on the president-elect in a very public way , and in the process demonstrate that it intends to stand up to the new administration despite its minority status . `` With Holder they are going to look to score some points on the evening news , '' Keyssar said . But the Rich matter is only one issue on which Republicans plan to grill Holder . Also at issue , according to Republicans , will be Holder 's involvement with the Elian Gonzalez case and potential conflicts of interests with his work over the past eight years with a corporate law firm . `` There are going to be some tough questions that Holder will have to answer , '' a Senate Republican aide said . `` We want to have a fair , open discussion for his qualifications for the job . '' Republicans say they are not specifically looking to block Holder 's nomination , and the GOP would be unable to do so even if it tried given the Democrats ' overwhelming majority in the Senate . `` We do n't want to be obstructionist . It 's not a partisan thing , it 's about examining his qualifications to be No. 1 at Justice , '' the Republican aide said . Still , the opposition party often claims victory when it mounts a sizeable resistance to a particular nominee , as 42 Democrats did in 2001 to President Bush 's first attorney general , John Ashcroft . But Obama can ultimately take solace in the fact that a new president 's Cabinet appointments are rarely held up in the Senate , no matter which party controls the chamber . According to the U.S. Senate Web site , the Senate has confirmed 98 percent of all Cabinet appointments since 1798 . In fact , the Senate has n't rejected any cabinet pick for nearly 20 years . It last rejected John Tower , former President George H.W. Bush 's pick for defense secretary , in 1989 . Republicans also know that at a time when Americans expect Congress to confront the country 's ongoing financial crisis and recent flare-ups abroad , it might be in their interest not to delay confirmation of several important posts or appear overly partisan when it comes to confirming the majority of the president-elect 's appointments . `` When these things get bad , it delays the whole process , '' Hess said . `` By the time the person finally gets the person he wants it 's March . Republicans do n't want this to happen . ''", "question": "Who is Eric Holder ?", "answer": "attorney general designate"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Breakaway conservative members of the Episcopal Church in the United States and its Canadian counterpart are expected to formally announce Wednesday the formation of a rival North American Anglican church . The consecration of Rev. Gene Robinson as bishop of New Hampshire left many conservatives disaffected . Leaders of the Common Cause Partnership , a network of more than 100,000 Anglican Christians in North America , are expected to unveil a draft constitution for a new ecclesiastical territorial division , or province , at an evening service in Wheaton Evangelical Free Church in Wheaton , Illinois , the group said in a written statement . `` The public release of our draft constitution is an important concrete step toward the goal of a biblical , missionary and united Anglican Church in North America , '' Bishop Robert Duncan of the Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , diocese , said in the written statement . The move comes after years of debate over issues from the interpretation of the Bible to homosexuality . Tensions reached a boiling point in 2003 , when the Episcopal Church consecrated an openly gay man , Rev. Gene Robinson , as bishop of New Hampshire . The move outraged worshippers with traditionalist tendencies , and since then , four dioceses and several parishes have left the Episcopalian Church , including Duncan 's Pittsburgh diocese . In all , the newly formed division will consist of about 100,000 members from the secessionist dioceses and parishes , along with splinter groups that had left the Episcopalian Church in earlier years , said Robert Lundy , a spokesman for the group `` This constitution brings them back together under one church , all aligned together , '' Lundy said . `` This is all these folks coming back together . '' Lunday said it was safe to say Duncan will lead the nascent province . An assembly is likely to be called next year to determine additional leadership , he said . The Rev. Dr. Charles K. Robertson , canon to the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church , Katharine Jefferts Schori , issued a statement saying it would not hazard a guess as to the consequences of Wednesday 's service . `` We will not predict what will or will not come out of this meeting , but simply continue to be clear that the Episcopal Church , along with the Anglican Church of Canada and the La Iglesia Anglicana de Mexico , comprise the official , recognized presence of the Anglican Communion in North America , '' he said . `` We reiterate what has been true of Anglicanism for centuries : that there is room within the Episcopal Church for people with different views , and we regret that some have felt the need to depart from the diversity of our common life in Christ . '' The Episcopal Church is part of the Anglican Communion , which is composed of 38 provinces around the world . It was not immediately clear which of the other provinces would recognize the Anglican Church in North America , but Lundy said in a meeting last year in Jerusalem indicated that some would do so . Lundy said the draft constitution will state the province 's core beliefs and doctrine . He said it will not lay out definite policies for issues the leaders disagree on , such as ordaining women .", "question": "Amount of people expected to bee taken from parishes that left Episcopal Church ?", "answer": "about 100,000 members"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The federal government has instructed BP to scale back its use of oil dispersants in the Gulf of Mexico , Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson said Monday . Jackson said she believes BP 's total use of dispersants can be reduced by as much as 80 percent . While the dispersants are successfully breaking up much of the oil being spilled into the Gulf , she said , `` we are making environmental tradeoffs '' and are `` deeply concerned '' about potential side effects . Jackson and Coast Guard Rear Adm. Mary Landry , the federal on-scene coordinator for the oil spill response effort , told reporters that subsea use of dispersants at the source of the leak will continue . But the federal government strongly prefers to eliminate oil on the surface through a combination of burning and mechanical skimming , they said . The `` use of dispersant in the subsea means that you do n't need to spray as much -LRB- on the surface -RRB- , '' Jackson later explained . `` The idea from the very beginning was that if you could use it in the subsea ... you would n't need to spray as much on top . '' Jackson 's announcement came less than a week after EPA ordered BP to find another chemical dispersant to use on the oil spill after concerns arose about the long-term effects of the substance now being used . Federal officials have been seeking an alternative to the hundreds of thousands of gallons of Corexit 9500 that have been sprayed on the oil slick since April . The product has been rated less effective and more toxic than many others on the list of 18 EPA-approved dispersants , according to testimony at a congressional hearing Wednesday . Corexit 9500 includes petroleum distillates , propylene glycol and a proprietary organic sulfonic salt , and prolonged contact with it can cause eye or skin irritation , according to the manufacturer 's material data safety sheet . The document warns that `` repeated or prolonged exposure may irritate the respiratory tract . '' `` I was n't satisfied with the answer that we got '' from BP regarding possible alternatives , Jackson said . While the data compiled so far does `` not show a problem with toxicity '' as a result of the use of Corexit , it `` seems to me that a month into this and with no end in sight ... we need to ask ourselves whether there 's a better product out there . And BP seemed to spend a lot of time saying why everything else did n't work . '' The EPA is in the process of setting up a series of toxicity tests , Jackson said , `` to look at what 's going on out there now and to look at whether there 's a better choice . '' Asked earlier about the company 's continued use of an oil dispersant in the face of an EPA request that it use a less toxic alternative , BP official Tony Hayward said , `` Everything that we do with dispersants is with the explicit approval of the EPA . '' On Monday , Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Thad Allen -- the Obama administration 's point man for the spill -- warned reporters at the White House that the `` decision to use dispersants does n't do away with the problem . '' It simply means `` we are willing to accept the effect of the oil in the ocean rather than on land . It is a trade-off of where the impact of the oil is going to be made . ''", "question": "What did the Government instruct BP to scale back ?", "answer": "its use of oil dispersants in the Gulf"}, {"story_text": "CLARENCE CENTER , New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The pilots of a commuter airliner that crashed late Thursday about 6 miles from a Buffalo , New York , airport discussed `` significant ice buildup '' on the plane 's wings and windshields before the plane plunged to the ground , killing 50 . Only a few pieces of the Continental Connection Dash 8 turboprop were recognizable after the crash . Continental Connection Flight 3407 was en route from Newark , New Jersey , to Buffalo Niagara International Airport when it went down about 10:20 p.m. ET Thursday . Preliminary information recovered from the flight 's cockpit voice and data recorders indicated that the plane underwent `` severe '' pitching and rolling motions after the landing gear was lowered and wing flaps were set for the approach , Steve Chealander of the National Transportation Safety Board said Friday afternoon . `` The crew discussed significant ice buildup , ice on the windshield and leading edge of the wings , '' Chealander said . `` The crew attempted to raise the gear and -LSB- reset -RSB- flaps shortly before the recordings ended , '' he said . iReport.com : Are you there ? Let us know The plane crashed into a home in Buffalo , killing all 49 people aboard and one person on the ground . Firefighters brought under control a blaze at the crash site on Friday , blaming a natural gas leak for the fire 's persistence . Two occupants of the house survived -- a woman and her daughter -- and were released from a hospital after treatment for minor injuries , authorities said . Read about the escape The first sign the air traffic controllers had of trouble was when Flight 3407 went off the radar . Before that , it had been business as usual . The first officer , who was the co-pilot , had no sign of stress in her voice as she talked with air traffic control . The plane was cleared for approach . About a minute later , the air traffic controller said that contact with the plane had been lost and asked whether crews in other aircraft could see anything . No one responded . The controller then said there might be a plane down . Although there was a mix of sleet and snow in the area , other planes landed safely at the airport about the time the flight went down . Watch what weather was like when disaster happened '' The crew of a Delta flight reported rime icing , a condition in which ice quickly builds up on the leading edge of the wings . A US Air flight also reported icing . CNN meteorologist Chad Myers noted that there was `` icing all over western New York '' at the altitude the plane was flying . See how ice affects airplanes '' `` Almost every minute of their flight was in an ice event , '' he said . The NTSB 's Chealander said the flight crew reported that visibility was about 3 miles and there was snow and mist as they descended . The voice and data recorders indicated that the plane 's internal de-icing was on during the landing approach , he said . Watch report from witness : `` All I saw was flames '' '' `` A significant ice buildup is an aerodynamic impediment , '' Chealander said . Tony Tatro was on his way home from the gym when the plane flew about 75 feet above him . The craft 's nose was lower than usual , and and the left wing was tilted , he said . `` The engines did n't sound typical , did n't sound normal , '' he said . Watch witness describe how plane went down '' The plane was loud as it came in , as if for a takeoff rather than for a landing , said David Luce , who lives 300 feet from the crash site . `` The engines sounded like they were revving at very high speed , an unnatural sound , '' Luce said . `` Then the engine cut out -- stopped . And within a couple of seconds , there was this tremendous explosion . `` It was an enormous explosion . It sounded like it hit , frankly , right in our backyard . ... The house shook ; the windows shook ; the ground shook , '' he said . `` It was a real blast . '' Watch Mary Jane Luce describe what she heard '' Among the dead were Beverly Eckert , widow of a September 11 attack victim , and Susan Wehle , a cantor at Temple Beth Am in Williamsville , outside Buffalo . Also aboard was Alison Des Forges , senior Africa adviser for Human Rights Watch , a colleague confirmed . Des Forges spent four years in Rwanda documenting the 1994 genocide and had testified about the atrocity and the current situation in central Africa to Congress and the United Nations , according to the organization . Read about the victims A representative for Colgan Air , which operated the plane for Continental , identified the crew as pilot Capt. Marvin Renslow , first officer Rebecca Shaw and flight attendants Matilda Quintero and Donna Prisco . An off-duty pilot , Capt. Joseph Zuffoletto , was also aboard . On Friday afternoon , a minister from Renslow 's church in Lutz , Florida , made a statement on the family 's behalf . `` They are very proud of Marvin 's accomplishments as a pilot , '' said Alan Burner , associate pastor at the First Baptist Church of Lutz . `` They know he did everything he could to save as many lives as he could , even in the accident . '' Shaw , a 25-year-old pilot from Maple Valley , Washington , had been with the airline about a year , according to her family . `` We 're in shock , '' her mother , Lynn Morris , said . `` We do n't understand . We kind of keep expecting Becky to come around the corner and say it 's not real . '' Watch Morris discuss the loss of her daughter '' In Washington , President Obama issued a statement expressing his condolences . `` Our hearts go out to the families and friends who lost loved ones , '' Obama said . `` I want to thank the brave first responders who arrived immediately to try and save lives and who are continuing to ensure the safety of everyone in the area . We pray for all those who have been touched by this terrible tragedy to find peace and comfort in the hard days ahead . '' The Erie County Medical Examiner 's Office established a command post at the scene and had investigators there , a statement from the office said . Officials said relatives of passengers aboard the flight should call 800-621-3263 for information . Watch what iReporter captured on film Thursday 's incident is the first fatal crash of a commercial airliner in the United States since August 2006 , when Comair Flight 5191 crashed while attempting to take off from the wrong runway near Lexington , Kentucky .", "question": "how many died abroad", "answer": "49 people"}, {"story_text": "LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The British government is buying 10,000 Taser stun guns for police officers across England and Wales , Britain 's Home Office said Monday . British police officers use a Taser gun to tackle a mock suspect in a training exercise . The move will expand the ranks of officers carrying the weapons from `` select firearms squads '' to `` thousands of trained frontline officers , '' according to the Home Office , which is responsible for domestic policing . Home Secretary -LRB- Interior Minister -RRB- Jacqui Smith said police `` deserve our support , so I want to give the police the tools they tell me they need to confront dangerous people . That is why I am giving the police 10,000 Tasers . '' The guns fire barbed darts charged with enough electricity to stun a person , the Home Office said . But Amnesty International UK described them as `` potentially lethal electrical weapons '' that deliver `` 50,000 volts of electricity into a person 's body . The result is excruciatingly painful , causing a person to fall to the ground and , at times , lose control of their bodily functions . '' The human rights group , however , expressed qualified support for the British government move , urging that the weapons be given only to officers specially trained to use them . `` We do n't actually oppose the use of Tasers as long as it 's by a limited number of highly trained specialist officers , responding to genuinely life-threatening or very dangerous situations , '' said Oliver Sprague , the organization 's arms program director . But , he added : `` Tasers are potentially lethal weapons which are already linked to numerous deaths in North America and that 's why wide deployment without adequate training is a dangerous step too far for British policing . '' `` The home secretary should urgently review this decision and ensure that Tasers only end up in the hands of a small number of fully trained officers capable of making the potentially fatal decision over whether to fire 50,000 volts into a person 's body . '' Amnesty says more than 300 people have died after being shot with Tasers since 2001 . The decision to introduce Tasers across England and Wales follows what the government called a successful pilot program with officers from 10 police forces , including London 's Metropolitan Police and forces responsible for Liverpool and Bristol . The test ran for 12 months from September 2007 with constables who had not previously carried firearms , a Home Office spokesman said . Before the pilot program , approximately 6,000 specially trained firearms officers across the country had access to Tasers starting in 2004 . Most British police officers do not carry any kind of firearm , Home Secretary Smith emphasized in her statement , a fact she said she was proud of .", "question": "Who have criticised the use of tasers ?", "answer": "Amnesty International UK"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Some Democrats appear to be wavering on a highly contentious House resolution labeling Turkey 's treatment of Armenians in World War I as genocide . A KC-135 tanker lands at Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey in 2003 . Turkey , a longtime U.S. ally and NATO partner , was incensed by the resolution calling the killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks genocide and threatened to block access to Incirlik Air Base after the resolution passed a House committee vote . The base , in southern Turkey near Syria , is a major resupply center for U.S. operations in Iraq and elsewhere in the Mideast and Asia . The Pentagon is preparing to set up new supply routes for troops in Iraq if Turkey cuts off U.S. access to the strategically important Incirlik , military officials said Tuesday . Ankara acknowledges the killings of Armenians during World War I but vehemently objects to the `` genocide '' label . The House Foreign Affairs Committee last week adopted the nonbinding resolution . House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she would bring the measure to a vote of the full House sometime next month . But the Bush administration urged Congress to drop the issue , and some leading Democrats urged Pelosi not to bring it to the floor . Majority Leader Steny Hoyer signaled Tuesday that the vote might be put off . `` I said I thought we would bring this up prior to us leaving here , '' said Hoyer of Maryland . `` I have not changed on that , although I would be less than candid to say that there are a number of people who are revisiting their own positions . We will have to determine where everybody is . '' Democratic Rep. Ike Skelton , the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee , announced his opposition to the resolution last week . And Democratic Reps. Alcee Hastings of Florida and John Tanner of Tennessee , both members of the U.S. House delegation to NATO , urged Pelosi to reconsider in a letter released Tuesday . `` More than half of the cargo flown into Iraq and Afghanistan comes through Incirlik Air Base , and this base would be a key component of any plans for redeployment of our troops in the future , '' they wrote . Lt. Gen. Carter Ham , the director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff , said Pentagon planners are looking at `` a broad range of options '' to keep food , fuel and ammunition flowing to U.S. troops in Iraq if Turkey blocks Incirlik . `` We 're confident that we 'll find ways to do that , '' Ham told reporters at the Pentagon . `` There 's likely to be some increased cost and some other implications for that , and obviously we 'd prefer to maintain the access that we have . '' Defense Secretary Robert Gates echoed lawmakers ' concerns last week . `` About 70 percent of all air cargo going into Iraq goes through Turkey . ... About a third of the fuel that they consume goes through Turkey or comes from Turkey , '' Gates said . He also said that 95 percent of the Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protective vehicles , or MRAPs , being deployed in Iraq are flown through Turkey . The vehicles are built to withstand roadside bombs . See Incirlik 's key location '' The U.S. military issued a `` warning order '' a few days ago to ensure that alternative air crews , planes , fuel and routes are lined up if Turkey stops or restricts U.S. access to Incirlik , a source said . Jordan and Kuwait are among the alternatives the United States is considering . Some fear pursuit of the resolution would also embolden the Turks to attack Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq which could further complicate Iraqi stability , U.S. officials said . Incirlik offers 10,000 - and 9,000-foot runways and 57 hardened aircraft shelters , according Globalsecurity.org , a source of background information about military issues . Globalsecurity said Incirlik has become a hub for cargo shipments to Iraq , taking over for Rhein-Main Air Base in Germany because it is closer to Iraq , reducing the strain on troops and aircraft . E-mail to a friend CNN 's Barbara Starr and Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report .", "question": "Where is incirlik ?", "answer": "southern Turkey"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A proposal to house federal prisoners , including some detainees from Guantanamo Bay , in a largely vacant maximum-security prison would be an economic boost to struggling northern Illinois , state officials said Sunday . `` This is something that is very good for our state , it 's good for our economy , it 's good for public safety , '' Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn told reporters . Officials from the departments of Defense , Justice , Homeland Security and the federal Bureau of Prisons will visit the Thomson Correctional Center on Monday , the officials said . Quinn 's office on Saturday said the officials would see whether the `` virtually vacant , state-of-the-art facility '' in Thomson , about 150 miles west of Chicago , could be of use to the Bureau of Prisons . If it is , the governor and other officials said Sunday , it could provide up to 2,000 jobs and up to $ 1 billion in federal money to the area . And Dick Durbin , the Senate 's second-ranking Democrat , said he believes the proposal provides a `` once-in-a-lifetime opportunity '' for his state 's residents . `` There are other states that want to take these jobs , '' Sen. Durbin said . `` We 've got to win this competition . '' Under the proposal , he said , federal officials have said fewer than 100 detainees from the Guantanamo Bay prison camp in Cuba would be housed in the 1,600-bed facility . They would be in a wing under the control of the Department of Defense , while the Bureau of Prisons would assume responsibility for the rest of the facility . The United States is asking other countries to house some of the Guantanamo detainees when the prison is closed , said Durbin , the Senate majority whip . But those countries are asking why America is not housing some of the inmates itself , he said , and use of the Thomson facility would demonstrate to them that the United States is willing to shoulder some of the responsibility . An Obama administration official said Saturday that as part of the conversion at Thomson , the Bureau of Prisons and Defense Department would enhance security to exceed those of the nation 's only supermax prison -- the U.S. Penitentiary Administrative Maximum Facility in Florence , Colorado . No person has ever escaped from the prison . The Thomson proposal , first reported Saturday by the Chicago Tribune , triggered immediate concern from critics . U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk , R-Illinois , whose district covers suburban Chicago , circulated a letter addressed to President Obama to Illinois leaders Saturday , opposing the possible transfer of detainees and saying that housing them in Thomson would turn metropolitan Chicago into `` ground zero for Jihadist terrorist plots , recruitment and radicalization . '' As home to Chicago 's Willis -LRB- formerly Sears -RRB- Tower -- the nation 's tallest building -- `` we should not invite al Qaeda to make Illinois its number one target , '' says Kirk , who is running for the same Senate seat once held by Obama . Durbin on Sunday pointed to the federal maximum-security prison in Marion , Illinois , which he said already houses 35 people convicted of terrorism , along with members of Colombian drug gangs and Mexican drug cartels -- `` some of the most dangerous people in America . '' `` They 're all in our prisons , and they 're all held safely , '' he said . And `` things have n't changed in Marion , Illinois . '' Those housed in the Marion penitentiary include Ali al-Marri , who is serving a sentence of eight years and four months after pleading guilty in federal court to conspiring to provide material support to al Qaeda . The Thomson prison was built in 2001 and sat empty for five years because the state lacked the resources to open it . Despite being built as a maximum-security facility , it houses 144 minimum-security male inmates , according to the Illinois Department of Corrections Web site . `` After living in limbo for eight years , we 're open to any and all alternatives for Thomson , '' said Jerry `` Duke '' Hebeler , Thomson village mayor . He estimated that the move would cut the county 's unemployment in half . `` I 'd never chase jobs if I thought it would jeopardize the security and safety of my neighbors and friends , '' Hebeler said . Quinn said that during the inspection Monday , `` We want to answer any and all questions that the federal authorities have . '' The Obama administration has vowed to close the Guantanamo facility , but acknowledges it is unlikely to happen by its self-imposed January 22 , 2010 , deadline . About 215 men are held there . They include alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed , who officials said Friday will be transferred to New York to go on trial in civilian court . The federal prison system houses approximately 340 inmates linked to international terrorism , including more than 200 tied to international incidents , another Obama official said . CNN 's Jessica Yellin contributed to this report .", "question": "Where is Thompson located with respect to Chicago ?", "answer": "about 150 miles west"}, {"story_text": "LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The A&E network quickly backed away from an earlier assurance that Michael Jackson 's three children `` are not part of '' a reality show it is taping with four of the pop star 's brothers . Before their father 's death , Michael Jackson 's children , Paris , Prince and `` Blanket '' were not often seen in public . The network said late Wednesday it was `` entirely possible '' that `` other members of the Jackson family '' could appear on the show , but it is too soon to know . US Weekly magazine quoted an unidentified source as saying that despite a sharp division in the Jackson family over the matter , Prince , 12 , Paris , 11 , and Blanket , 7 , would be included in the show . '' The Jacksons : A Family Dynasty , '' which focuses on the lives of four of the Jackson brothers -- Jackie , Jermaine , Tito and Marlon -- was in the works before the singer 's June 25 death . `` Filming is taking place right now , '' A&E said in the late Wednesday statement . `` As production moves forward , it is entirely possible that the brothers ' paths will intersect with other members of the Jackson family , who may or may not be included in the finished series . However , we can not at this point definitively know who else may make an appearance in the series . '' Earlier Wednesday , however , the network had seemed to rule out their appearance , saying , `` They are not part of the series . '' Jackson went to great lengths for years to keep his children out of the public eye , including covering their faces with masks and scarves . It was only at the public memorial service for Jackson that the world got a close look at them -- and began learning about their personalities . The magazine 's source is quoted as saying that the oldest Jackson sister , Rebbie , `` feels Michael would spin in his grave if he knew his kids would be on this show . '' The public relations firm hired by the Jackson family soon after Michael Jackson 's death issued a short statement Wednesday morning that did not dispute the US Weekly report . `` We are not going to comment , '' the statement said . The decision would be left to Katherine Jackson , Michael 's mother , according to the lawyer appointed in August to represent the children in the probate of their father 's will . Katherine Jackson was given guardianship over the children by a Los Angeles judge . The reality show is tentatively set to begin airing in December . CNN 's Marc Balinsky contributed to this report .", "question": "What is A&E going to broadcast ?", "answer": "The Jacksons : A Family Dynasty"}, {"story_text": "Dubai , United Arab Emirates -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Police announced 15 new suspects in the January killing of a Hamas leader at a Dubai hotel , bringing to 26 the number of people suspected of involvement in his death . Authorities previously had released a list of 11 suspects in the killing of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh , a founding member of Hamas ' military wing . Al-Mabhouh was found dead in his hotel room January 20 . Police believe he was killed the night before and suspect the Mossad , the secretive Israeli foreign intelligence unit , was behind his killing . Among the new suspects are six more people who allegedly used British passports in the commission of the crime , four others using Irish passports , two other French passport holders and three people , including a woman , traveling on Australian passports , police said in a statement Wednesday . The total number of suspects using British passports is now at 12 , police said , along with six Irish passport holders and four French passport holders . Another suspect using a German passport was announced earlier this month . The three Australian passports are new . `` Friendly nations who have been assisting in this investigation have indicated to the police in Dubai that the passports were issued in an illegal and fraudulent manner , adding that the pictures on the travel documents did not correspond to the original owners , '' the police statement said . Dubai authorities have informed Australia of the possible use of the three Australian passports , Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said Thursday -LRB- Wednesday ET -RRB- in a statement to Parliament . The passports were issued in 2003 to Joshua Bruce , Adam Korman and Nicole McCabe , he said , adding that Australian officials have been cooperating with Dubai authorities . `` The Australian government is very gravely concerned that these Australian passports appear to have been used fraudulently , '' he said . Preliminary analysis shows that the passports `` appear to have been duplicated or altered , '' he said . `` At this stage , Australian officials have no information , no information to suggest that the three Australian passport holders were involved in any way , other than as victims of passport or identity fraud . '' He said he had told the Israeli ambassador to Australia , Yuval Rotem , that Australia expected Israeli authorities `` to cooperate fully and transparently with the Australian Federal Police investigation into this matter . '' The European Union earlier this week said it `` strongly condemns '' the use of false EU passports in connection with al-Mabhouh 's slaying . Officials have said the passports are not fake or forged but were authentic passports meant for other people . While authorities have not said how he died , al-Mabhouh 's family was told there were signs of electric shocks on his legs , behind his ears , on his genitals and over his heart . Blood on a pillow led police to believe he was suffocated , the family was told . The killers left some of al-Mabhouh 's medicine next to his bed in an apparent effort to suggest his death was not suspicious , police said . Police said Wednesday they have traced the suspects ' travel routes and their destinations before and after al-Mabhouh 's death . `` The suspects gathered in Dubai and dispersed to various locations before pairing up again in different teams and heading off to other destinations , '' the statement said . The Australians , for instance , are believed to have departed Dubai in a boat for Iran . Police released a diagram showing the travel routes . The suspects are believed to have departed Dubai for places including Paris , Hong Kong and Rome following al-Mabhouh 's death . In addition , police said in a statement that 14 of the suspects used credit cards issued by MetaBank , based in the U.S. state of Iowa , to book hotel rooms and pay for air travel . Payoneer , an online payment distribution service , issues the types of cards the suspects are said to have used through MetaBank . Someone `` loads '' the cards by paying Payoneer , which then contacts MetaBank to issue the card , according to Payoneer . `` We are aware of the news reports , '' Mary Kae Marinac , a spokeswoman for Payoneer , said Wednesday . `` We are cooperating with -LSB- MetaBank -RSB- and the authorities to explore the matter '' and identify the accounts . A spokeswoman for MetaBank confirmed the bank 's relationship with Payoneer and said the company is investigating the allegations . Meanwhile , the new list of 15 suspects `` includes people who offered prior logistical support and preparations to facilitate the crime and others who played a central role , '' police said . `` Dubai police investigators are not ruling out the possibility of involvement of other people in the murder . '' The 26 do not include two Palestinians arrested in Jordan earlier and returned to the UAE . In an interview Wednesday , Khairi Aloridi , the Palestinian ambassador to the United Arab Emirates , called al-Mabhouh 's death `` a major terrorist crime . '' The European Union is concerned the killers acquired passports and credit cards by swiping the identities of EU citizens , Baroness Catherine Ashton said Monday . She did not name Israel , although foreign ministers in countries whose passports were doctored called in Israeli ambassadors last week to discuss the issue . In Israel , as many as seven people whose names were on the travel documents said they have no knowledge of al-Mabhouh 's death . The British Foreign Office said Wednesday it was planning to contact the British citizens named by Dubai authorities as suspects -- because the passports bear their names -- and `` we will be offering them counselor services . `` We continue our investigation into this matter and repeat that we expect full cooperation from Israel in relation to this matter , '' the office said in a statement . Dubai 's police chief said Thursday he was `` 99 percent '' certain that the Mossad , the secretive Israeli foreign intelligence unit , is behind al-Mabhouh 's slaying . Hamas has called al-Mabhouh 's death an `` assassination . '' Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman , meanwhile , has said there is nothing more than `` media reports '' linking Israel to al-Mabhouh 's death . Asked if he believed the Mossad was responsible , Aloridi said Wednesday , `` All the evidence and the clues point to an Israeli involvement . '' In a report from the information office of the Ezzedeen al-Qassam Brigades , the armed wing of Hamas , senior Hamas leader Ismail Radwan said he believes Israel was behind the killing and called for `` the Zionist war criminals '' to be held accountable . CNN 's Paula Hancocks , Caroline Faraj , Saad Abedine and Hugh Williams contributed to this report .", "question": "Who do Australian officials cooperate with ?", "answer": "Dubai authorities"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- Entertainment Weekly -RRB- -- It could n't top its predecessors , but `` X-Men Origins : Wolverine '' still brought in quite a haul , grossing an estimated $ 87 million for the opening weekend of the summer movie season . Hugh Jackman stars as the title character in `` X-Men Origins : Wolverine . '' The Hugh Jackman pic brought in a strong $ 21,225 per-theater average in 4,099 movie houses , despite generating mixed reviews . The film fell $ 15 million short of 2006 's `` X-Men : The Last Stand '' but it is still an enormous success for Jackman and director Gavin Hood . Matthew McConaughey 's `` Ghosts of Girlfriends Past '' generated an estimated $ 15.3 million for a second place bow . It 's not a shabby opening but it is far less than McConaughey 's previous romantic outings including last year 's `` Fool 's Gold '' -LRB- $ 21.6 million -RRB- or 2006 's `` Failure to Launch '' -LRB- $ 24.2 million -RRB- . -LRB- Perhaps women were too busy checking out all those hunky mutants this weekend ? -RRB- The two new openers did help the industry maintain its year-over-year increase of 16 percent . Also aiding that statistic was Beyonce Knowles ' `` Obsessed . '' Dropping a not-surprising 57 percent for its second weekend in theaters , the thriller earned another $ 12.2 million to put its ten-day gross at a shockingly strong $ 47 million . And Zac Efron 's `` 17 Again '' showed surprising stamina , too , grossing an additional $ 6.3 million its third weekend for a total take of $ 48.4 million . The other new wide release for the weekend was the anemic 3-D animated sci-fi film `` Battle for Terra . '' Opening on 1162 theaters , the Justin Long , Evan Rachel Wood-voiced feature proved to be little competition for the other 3-D movie in the marketplace . Dreamworks Animation 's juggernaut `` Monsters vs. Aliens '' grossed another $ 5.8 million its sixth weekend for the fifth slot in the rankings , while newcomer `` Terra '' could n't muster more than $ 1 million for a twelfth place in the box office derby . Summer has officially begun -- at least in Hollywood -- so expect a giant event film every weekend . Wolverine may have bowed mightily but with `` Star Trek '' hot on its heels next weekend , the Marvel superhero is going to need more than adamantium to maintain its box office lead . CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly", "question": "How much did Monsters vs. Aliens take at the box office ?", "answer": "another $ 5.8 million"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It 's a familiar scenario : A major crime is committed . Police investigate possible leads while the media asks for information . Soon , authorities say they have a `` person of interest . '' Raymond Clark was named a person of interest , and then charged with murdering Yale grad student Annie Le . But what does this term mean ? `` The ` person of interest ' tells you nothing , '' says Cynthia Hujar Orr , president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers . `` They are suspicious of that person , but the police do n't have the evidence they need . '' Investigators named Raymond Clark a `` person of interest '' after 24-year-old Yale University graduate student Annie Le was found dead in the basement of an off-campus lab . Officer Joe Avery , of the New Haven Police Department , said Clark was a `` person of interest '' because he worked in the same highly-secured lab where Le was last seen . Authorities detained Clark , 24 , on Tuesday , took his DNA and searched his home . They released him , and his lawyer said Clark was fully cooperating with authorities . Then , on Thursday , Clark was arrested and charged with Le 's murder . Watch police announce the arrest '' But not everyone who is called a person of interest becomes a suspect . In the last decade , law enforcement authorities have increasingly used the phrase -- but the label did n't necessarily mean the person would be charged . According to one analysis of 40 cases , half of the `` persons of interest '' were released without charges . The exact origin of the phrase `` person of interest '' is unknown . But several criminology professors and attorneys who spoke with CNN said they believe the phrase became widely used after the 1996 Olympic Park bombings in Atlanta , Georgia , when media outlets called security guard Richard Jewell a suspect . Jewell was never charged , and was eventually cleared . Several years later , Eric Rudolph was arrested and convicted for the crime . Jewell died in August 2007 . Jewell sued the FBI and several media organizations -- including CNN , NBC and the Atlanta Journal Constitution -- for libel and slander . The CNN and NBC suits were settled . The U.S. Attorney 's Office gave him an unprecedented government acknowledgment of wrongful accusation . Law enforcement officers and the media began using the term `` person of interest '' as a shield against civil litigation . But some attorneys , criminologists and media experts say using the loose term `` person of interest '' can tarnish the person 's reputation , mislead the public , and possibly hurt the investigation . Using the phrase is a way for authorities to draw attention to the person without formally accusing them , they say . Watch a discussion of the phrase ` person of interest ' '' `` It 's a really bad term to use , because the public reads ` suspect , ' '' said Kelly McBride , ethics group leader at the Poynter Institute , a national journalism training institute in St. Petersburg , Florida . Donna Shaw , a journalism professor at The College of New Jersey , said she believes federal law enforcement officials invented the phrase in the mid-1990s to satiate journalists hounding them for information . Soon , local law enforcement officers began to pick up on the phrase . Shaw studied a year 's worth of stories with the term `` person of interest '' in 2006 , interviewing representatives from local police departments on why the term was utilized . `` Some of the police told me , ' We do n't know what it means but it makes reporters happy , ' '' Shaw said . Her research found that fewer than half of the people identified as `` persons of interest '' were ever charged with the crimes , yet their stories remained ingrained on the Internet after their exoneration . In the U.S. Attorney 's Manual , a guidebook used by federal criminal prosecutors , the phrase `` person of interest '' does n't exist . It is not a legal term used by attorneys . Police are trained to use lingo like `` suspect , '' `` subject '' and `` target . '' James Alan Fox , a criminologist at Northeastern University , said the expression `` person of interest '' is closest in meaning to the word `` subject '' but does n't necessarily mean that person is a `` suspect . '' A subject is a police term used to describe someone who appears suspicious for circumstantial reasons . Common `` subjects '' could be a victim 's husband or boyfriend , Fox said . In the case of graduate student Annie Le , Raymond Clark worked in the same lab . In contrast , a suspect is someone against whom police have specific evidence leading investigators to believe the person committed the crime and will likely be charged , he said . In some instances , as in Clark 's case , a `` person of interest '' can eventually become a suspect , who is then arrested and charged . `` Any particular crime will have several ` people of interest , ' '' Fox said . `` But much of the time a person of interest is just that , once the police investigate and find out they have an alibi . '' Steven Hatfill , a former U.S. Army bio-weapons scientist , found his reputation destroyed after Attorney General John Ashcroft named him a `` person of interest '' in the 2001 anthrax attacks . In the investigation that followed , Hatfill was never charged . He was never named a suspect . `` The government failed us , not only by failing to catch the anthrax mailers but by seeking to conceal that failure , '' a lawyer for Hatfill said in 2008 after winning a $ 2.8 million settlement of an invasion of privacy lawsuit against the Justice Department . `` Our government did this by leaking gossip , speculation and misinformation to a handful of credulous reporters , '' the lawyer added . The man whom authorities eventually blamed for the anthrax attacks , Bruce Ivins , committed suicide in 2008 as federal agents were closing in on him , police said . Officials at the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers in Washington , D.C. , said authorities who use the phrase `` person of interest '' can confuse the person who is in custody . A person who is labeled a `` person of interest '' might not seek out an attorney under the mistaken belief he or she is simply a witness , and the vague term can make it easier for police to get a confession , they said . Clark , the technician labeled a `` person of interest '' in the Yale student 's slaying , answered some questions and then obtained an attorney , police said . Scott Burns , executive director of the National District Attorneys Association , said the imprecise phrase can help law enforcement to establish credibility among the public by suggesting that they are making progress in a case . By saying you have a suspect , he explained , `` You are putting your nickel down and saying we think we have the guy . ''", "question": "Does the phrase mean the same thing as the word `` suspect '' ?", "answer": "not everyone who is called a person of interest becomes a suspect"}, {"story_text": "BROWNSVILLE , Texas -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Hurricane Dolly weakened to a tropical storm Wednesday night after it made landfall on South Padre Island , Texas , leaving a trail of battered buildings and flooding . Police patrol the streets of South Padre Island , Texas , on Wednesday as Hurricane Dolly approaches . By 9 p.m. CT , Dolly 's sustained winds had dipped to about 70 mph with higher gusts , according to the National Hurricane Center . A Category 1 hurricane has winds of at least 75 mph . A tropical storm warning remained in effect from Brownsville to Port Aransas , Texas . Tropical storm warnings for other areas were lifted . The eye of the storm made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane on South Padre Island , Texas , about 1 p.m. CT , tearing roofs off homes , flooding streets and sending residents scrambling for safety from wind gusts reaching 120 mph . By 2 p.m. , the hurricane was downgraded to Category 1 , but in many areas along the southwest coastal region , the damage was already done . Watch CNN 's Gary Tuchman brace against Dolly 's high winds '' At least one person was injured as sustained winds up to 100 mph downed power lines and tore observation decks off homes and condos , CNN affiliate KPRC reported . A 17-year-old fell from a seventh-story balcony , sustaining head injuries , a broken leg and a broken hip . He is alert and receiving treatment on the island while authorities wait for the first opportunity to get him to the mainland , KPRC reported . `` When we heard the first bang , I thought it was one of the air conditioners flying , '' said Jacqueline Bell , who lives on South Padre Island . `` Then we went outside , and we saw the debris , and we saw the neighbors leaving . '' CNN meteorologist Chad Myers said persistent rainfall could cause flooding upstream in the Rio Grande as long as the storm stalled over the mountains of Mexico . Watch Myers explain the threat of flooding upriver '' Myers said it could take two days for the rainwater to flow upstream and challenge the natural levees , which were holding for now . `` The levees are holding up just fine , '' said Johnny Cavazos , emergency coordinator for Cameron County , The Associated Press reported . `` There is no indication right now that they are going to crest . '' Even before Dolly made landfall , driving rain and wind gusts from its outer rings flooded streets and threatened to pour into homes while wind gusts shattered windows on the island popular with tourists . The 2,400 residents began bracing for the storm Tuesday night , when strong winds forced the closure of South Padre Island 's causeway to the mainland . Officials said the causeway is closed any time winds reach 39 mph . Some chose to remain on the island and wait out the storm . Steven Murphy took shelter with his girlfriend in his 65-foot double-decker fishing boat , Murphy 's Law , and hoped for the best . Read about why Murphy decided to wait out the storm Murphy , who owns a charter fishing company with his brother on the island , lived through a more powerful hurricane , where he saw boats bigger than his tossed onto land . `` I had nightmares about that last night , '' he said from his boat Wednesday . He said the wind outside sounded like a tornado and added that he 'd seen several items blow past the windows of his vessel . `` It 's starting to tear it up real good , '' Murphy said . See images and videos from affected areas '' On the mainland , people in the path of the storm stacked sandbags around their homes , nailed plywood over windows and prepared generators to keep power going in the event of a blackout . iReport.com : Are you in Dolly 's path ? Brownsville Mayor Pat Ahumada said that the storm downed trees and dumped 6 to 8 inches of rain but that emergency workers were ready to respond once the wind and rain died down . Ahumada said reports that the city 's levees are in danger of breaching were exaggerated . Watch Mayor Ahumada explain the situation on the ground '' He said it would take 20 inches of rain to top nearly all of the city 's levees , which had been reinforced to federal standards or above . `` People think we 're facing a Katrina , '' he said . `` That 's not the case . '' More than 13,000 customers were without power in Cameron County , where Brownsville is , utility company AEP Texas told The Associated Press . Dolly 's arrival also had the military scrambling . The Navy moved 89 aircraft from its Corpus Christi post to other locations in Texas and New Mexico . See Dolly 's projected path '' Texas Gov. Rick Perry issued a disaster declaration for 14 counties before Dolly arrived . The declaration `` allows the state to initiate necessary preparedness efforts , '' according to a statement from Perry 's office . More than two dozen state agencies and organizations , including the Red Cross , are on standby to help with evacuations and other needs . The National Guard has set up staging areas in Houston , Austin and San Antonio , officials said . As many as 1,200 National Guardsmen have been called to help , and 700 are deployed to targeted areas . An incident management team has been pre-positioned in South Texas , including six UH-60 helicopters , to provide support to first responders . CNN 's Alex Walker , Barbara Starr and Ed Lavandera contributed to this report .", "question": "What is the storm called ?", "answer": "Hurricane Dolly"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- For nearly 20 years Jennifer Schuett has held onto every memory of the night she was abducted from her bedroom , raped and left for dead . Jennifer Schuett remembers small details of the night she was abducted , raped and her throat slashed at age 8 . It was August 10 , 1990 . Schuett was 8 years old and lived alone with her mother in the first floor of an apartment complex in Dickinson , Texas . The bedroom windows faced the parking lot . Investigators were never able to identify a suspect , but new DNA testing may change that . CNN normally does not identify victims of sexual assaults . But Schuett wants to go public with her story -- and her name -- to increase the chances of finding and prosecuting her attacker . `` It 's not about me anymore , '' she explained . `` It 's about all the little girls that go to sleep at night . I know there are so many girls out there who have been raped and hurt . You have to fight back . '' For that , Schuett , 27 , is relying on her voice , her memory and advances in DNA testing . `` I remember everything ; I 've always wanted to remember everything , so I can find the person that did this , '' Schuett told CNN during a phone interview . `` If I had blocked this out of my memory , the investigation would n't have come this far . I 'm a fighter . '' Schuett says she was alone in her bed when a man came creeping in through the window . She remembers waking up in a stranger 's arms as he carried her across a dark parking lot . `` When I opened my eyes , his face was the first thing I saw and he covered my face and mouth , '' she said . `` He ran with me to his car . He told me he was an undercover cop and that he knew my family . He seemed calm -- not nervous , not aggressive . '' After they left the parking lot , he drove her through the streets of Dickinson , Texas , pulling into a mechanic shop next to her elementary school . `` Watch the moon . The moon will change colors and that is when your mom will come to get you , '' she recalled him saying . `` Oh , it looks like she is not coming . '' Schuett said he drove her to an overgrown field next to the school and raped her . `` He had a knife to my throat and touched my face and offered me Reese 's pieces , '' she said . `` I was scared but I knew I could n't be fast enough to get away . Cars would drive by but I could n't get away to get help . '' She believes she passed out . `` I woke up to him dragging me by my ankles , '' she said . `` I felt thorns ripping the skin off my back . I would see him turn to look at me and I would play dead . '' She passed out again , and awoke at daybreak . `` I remember feeling dew around me and I could n't figure out why when I screamed I could n't hear myself , '' said Schuett . She lay naked on top of an ant hill with her throat slashed from ear to ear , and her voice box torn . Much later , she said , `` I heard children playing hide and seek . That is when one of the kids tripped over my foot , '' said Schuett . She was found at 6 p.m. on a hot August day . She had been lying in the field for nearly 12 hours . She was rushed to the hospital in critical condition . `` Three days after the attack , I started giving a description . The doctors told me I would never be able to talk again , but I proved them all wrong , '' said Schuett . She believes she got her voice back so she could tell her story . `` I never wanted to play the victim role . I wanted to be a strong survivor , '' she said . But the attack left its mark . `` For the first two years , I had nightmares and was scared , '' she said . `` But I never wanted sympathy . ... If I had given up , he would have won , and I wanted to show him : ` You did n't win . ' '' Shuettt said she is now `` on a manhunt . '' Houston FBI Special Agent Richard Rennison is one of the lead investigators in the case , along with Dickinson police Detective Tim Cromie . Both men were discussing the case , when Rennison received a memo from the FBI 's Child Abduction Rapid Deployment -LRB- CARD -RRB- Team , saying they were looking for cold child abduction cases that could be retested for DNA evidence . The Schuett case was one of the cases selected . Rennison , who has 10 years of experience in child abduction cases , said he has never seen a case like Schuett 's . `` This is the only one that I can think of that the victim has suffered some traumatic injuries and survived , '' he said , `` The main reason the CARD team picked this case was because she was alive . In cases of child abduction it is rare that the child is recovered alive . Frequently you recover a body and most times you never find them . '' Schuett is a living witness who can help put the pieces together . The investigators found evidence collected 19 years ago , which can be retested . It includes the underwear and pajamas Schuett was wearing , as well as a man 's underwear and T-shirt , which were found in the field where Schuett was left for dead . The clothes were tested in 1990 , but the sample was n't large enough for conclusive results . But now , modern techniques allow DNA to be isolated from a single human cell . Once they get back the DNA results -- `` any time now , '' Schuett said -- they will run them through the FBI 's criminal database and see if they get a match . The FBI has also offered a $ 10,000 reward for information that could lead to a break in the case . And last weekend Schuett appeared in `` America 's Most Wanted , '' which resulted in several leads from viewers who called in with information . `` Someone might remember something about that night , '' Schuett said . `` Dickinson is a really small community . Everybody knows everybody . I know someone in town knows something . ''", "question": "Which agency is investigating ?", "answer": "Houston FBI"}, {"story_text": "LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Thousands of mourners and well-wishers gathered Saturday at a church east of London for the funeral of controversial reality TV star Jade Goody . Jade Goody 's coffin is carried into church for the funeral service in Essex Saturday . The 27-year-old lost a public battle with cervical cancer last month , prompting sympathy and headlines around the world . As Goody 's white coffin was carried into the church at Buckhurst Hill , Essex , east of London , a gospel choir began singing `` Amazing Grace . '' Pallbearers included her husband Jack Tweed , whom she married in February . Send your tributes to Jade Goody . Inside the church the congregation heard Tweed read a poem as well as watching a multimedia tribute to Goody 's life . View image gallery of Jade Goody 's funeral '' Outside thousands of well-wishers gathered in the spring sunshine to watch the funeral service on large TV screens , breaking into spontaneous applause throughout the service . TV pictures showed one young girl with `` R.I.P. Jade '' drawn on her cheek . Read blog from her funeral Addressing the congregation Max Clifford , Goody 's publicist , said : `` She achieved in seven months what doctors , politicians and medical experts can only dream of achieving . Her legacy is a wonderful one . Because of Jade Goody , lots of women have had their lives saved . '' Watch family and fans pay their last respects '' After the service congregation member Peter Holmes , 28 , from St. Albans , north of London , told CNN : `` The service was lovely . The funeral was just what Jade was all about . She was a fun-loving person who always lit up a room with a funny comment . '' Flowers thrown by well-wishers covered the front of the vintage hearse carrying Goody 's coffin as it arrived at the church . Crowds earlier applauded as the cortege slowly made its way through Bermondsey , south London , where Goody grew up amid deprivation and drug abuse . At one point the procession stopped to release a white dove . Wreaths included one in the shape of a pink heart , another that resembled a blue handbag and another shaped like a camera -- reflecting Goody 's love of the limelight . After the funeral friends and family left for a private burial . Goody had burst into the spotlight in the British version of `` Big Brother '' in 2002 but attracted global notoriety five years later when she made racist comments -- for which she later apologized -- to Indian actress Shilpa Shetty . Well-wisher Vicky Scott , a security consultant from Bedfordshire , central England , waiting outside the church before the service , told CNN : `` She had very much to live for and she had achieved so much . She had a tough life and she gave us so much . `` I think she was an inspiration to many women , the way she brought cervical cancer to many women 's minds . '' Clifford said in comments reported by the Press Association that Goody 's mother Jackiey Budden was `` distraught '' and Tweed was `` heartbroken . '' Goody 's two sons , Bobby , 5 , and Freddie , 4 , did not attend the service and are believed to have gone to Australia with their father , TV host Jeff Brazier , according to media reports . Medical officials have reported a big rise in the number of screenings for cervical cancer after Goody 's diagnosis was announced live on India 's version of `` Big Brother '' last August , a phenomenon some have dubbed the `` Jade Goody effect . '' Images of her shrinking frame and bald head dominated the pages of British media after she announced she had just weeks to live . UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown had previously praised Goody 's work in raising awareness of cervical cancer . `` In many years to come , there will be an awful lot of women who 've got an awful lot to thank Jade Goody for , '' he said . Despite her weakening state Goody continued to open her door to the media , saying she needed to keep selling her story to help secure the future of her sons . With Clifford 's help , she organized her wedding to boyfriend Tweed , who had only just been released from prison after serving a sentence for assault , selling the exclusive rights to OK! magazine for a reported $ 970,000 . It was also filmed for her reality TV show . CNN 's Peter Wilkinson contributed to this report .", "question": "What did Goody die from ?", "answer": "cervical cancer"}, {"story_text": "Tim Welch was never the kind of guy who worried about his weight . Tim Welch topped 260 pounds at his heaviest weight , before his cousin convinced him to join Weight Watchers . In fact , the 37-year-old accounts manager from Seattle , Washington , ate a fairly balanced diet and loved participating in sports while growing up . `` I was thin and fit my whole life , '' Welch remembers . `` I was always active in sports such as running cross-country in high school and swimming on the swim team in college . '' Things started to change in 1995 after he graduated from college . Welch got a job , moved out of his parents ' house and began indulging in late-night meals with his friends . `` I remember specifically in 1995 , my waist size went from a 34 -LSB- inches -RSB- to a 38 in a matter of months , '' Welch said . `` I got a size 36 pants to accommodate my waist size and I had to ask for a bigger size for Christmas because they were too tight . '' Welch was in total disbelief when he stepped on the scale and realized he was carrying 200 pounds on his 5-foot-10-inch frame . Despite the initial shock , he continued to gain weight . Even though he fit the medical definition of obese , Welch stayed physically active . He joined a master 's swim team , hiked and walked regularly . Because he was physically active , Welch thought he could keep eating whatever he wanted . As his weight crept up , his desire to exercise waned . By the winter of 2005 , the extra calories and his now-sedentary lifestyle caught up with him . During a doctor 's visit , Welch discovered that his weight had skyrocketed . `` That was pretty depressing to see that 262 -LSB- pounds -RSB- on the physical . Just knowing that I had become that heavy , '' said Welch . About the same time , Welch started walking with a cousin who had lost 70 to 80 pounds on Weight Watchers . During their walks , she would gently encourage him to give the program a try , he says . She also tried to calm his fears that he 'd have to stop eating all of the foods he loved in order to lose weight . `` I kept expressing a really persistent fear I had of restricting my comfort foods . I felt to truly lose weight , I could n't ever eat the things I loved -- hamburgers , ice cream , chocolate , bacon , cheese -LSB- and -RSB- cookies , '' said Welch . `` I felt like in order to lose weight I would have to give up those things . '' Welch started to become depressed and ashamed of his increasing waist size . Embarrassing moments such as asking for a bigger pants size and having a homeless man yell , `` Hey , big guy ! '' on the street -- began to take a toll on him . As a new year approached , Welch reached his breaking point . In January 2006 , as part of his New Year 's resolution , Welch reluctantly attended his first Weight Watchers meeting , but not before making one last stop for what Welch called his `` last meal . '' `` I had a double-cheeseburger , onion rings and milkshake at Johnny Rockets right before the meeting , '' said Welch . `` I weighed 252.6 at my first meeting . '' During the first week on Weight Watchers , he dropped 7 pounds . Welch also learned how to enjoy his favorite foods through portion control , eating in moderation and choosing healthier foods first . Welch , who was already walking 3.5 miles a day roundtrip to work , started taking water aerobics three times a week and swimming again competitively . The weight continued to come off , about 2-3 pounds a week . CNN iReporters before-and-after weight loss photos '' `` When I got to 200 pounds , I decided , well , ` Why do n't I go for a weight that 's a healthy weight range for my height , ' '' said Welch . `` So I did , and by that point the weight had slowed down . It does n't come off as quickly as you get closer to your goal weight . But it was still coming off . '' Eight months later , Welch had lost 87 pounds and reached his goal weight of 174 pounds , which is the maximum weight for someone who is 5 feet 10 inches tall , according to the national guidelines . People were stunned by his dramatic weight loss . `` I literally had people that knew me that did n't recognize me , '' said Welch . So , what 's the best advice Welch has for others who want to lose weight ? `` Be the best friend you can to yourself while you 're going through this weight loss journey . I 've always been someone who was very hard on themselves and suffered from low self-esteem . '' Welch said he tried to be very forgiving of himself during the whole process and he still is . He said you should congratulate yourself and focus on any accomplishment you make each day or each week , rather than focus on areas were you have failed . For example , Welch says if you have an extra helping of mashed potatoes , do n't beat yourself up . Stop yourself and focus on the fact that you chose salmon and peas for dinner and ate two helpings of mashed potatoes -- compared with the cheeseburger and French fries you would have eaten two years ago . Welch also says people should n't deny themselves completely . Allow yourself to indulge in some chocolate when you want it . But instead of eating the entire candy bar , break off a few squares , count the calories , and enjoy it . Also , learn to recognize the fats that are better for you . Do n't cut out all of the fat . Instead , choose a healthier fat . For example , Welch often allows himself to eat peanut butter or guacamole , which are higher in fat but are a healthier fat than eating something fried . How has the weight loss changed Welch 's life ? Welch can bend over and tie his shoes without discomfort . He feels much lighter going up a flight of stairs and he can hike much faster . More importantly , he 's become more optimistic . `` It made me realize I can , in fact , do anything I set my mind to , '' said Welch . `` It gave me a confidence I desperately needed that I try to apply to other areas of my life . '' iReport.com : Have you lost weight ? Share your story , tips and photos E-mail to a friend", "question": "At what weight was Tim Welch at his heaviest ?", "answer": "260 pounds"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Pop superstar Madonna reaches a major milestone Saturday . She 's turning 50 . Becky Oliphant went skydiving two weeks before turning 50 . `` I 'm doing things I 've never done before , '' she said . The singer is showing no signs of slowing down as she reaches 50 . She will soon begin a world tour and is still regarded as a beauty and fashion icon by many . In honor of Madonna 's big day , we asked iReporters to share their stories about turning 50 and what the milestone means to them . Dr. Becky Oliphant jokes with her marketing students at Stetson University in DeLand , Florida , that she and Madonna are just months apart in age . Oliphant turned 50 in May . Oliphant went skydiving with her graduate class weeks before her birthday . The jump was a first for her , one of many exciting things Oliphant hopes to experience now that she 's 50 . `` It 's a very liberating feeling , '' she said . `` I 'm doing things I 've never done before ; I 'm trying more things . Maybe it 's because I feel like I do n't have that much time left to do everything that I want to . '' Oliphant says she works hard to maintain a healthy diet and walks often . She said it 's necessary to stay in shape to keep up with her sons , ages 12 and 14 . `` I have to stay young to keep up with them . '' John Tackett Jr. celebrated turning 50 by running in a marathon in San Diego , California , followed by two days of hiking in Yosemite National Park . See photos of iReporters who have reached the 50-year mark \u00c2 '' Now 51 , Tackett says he 's `` doing more now than I ever thought I could . '' After losing 140 pounds in 2004 , Tackett has embraced a healthy and active lifestyle . He bikes three times a week to work and runs and swims on a regular basis . He ran the Boston Marathon in 3 hours and 45 minutes in April . Three weeks later , he clocked in at 6\u00c2 1/2 hours during a half-Iron Man competition in Panama City Beach , Florida . Watch Tackett describe how he prepared for races \u00c2 '' `` As I got older , my eyes opened up , '' Tackett said . Learning that the human life span is increasing made him realize the importance of staying healthy . In 2006 , life expectancy at birth in the United States hit a record high of 78.1 years , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Life expectancy for white males is 76 years , and white women have a life expectancy of 81 years . The numbers are slightly lower for black men and women , at 70 and 76.9 years , respectively . `` If I 'm going to live that long , I want to be in the best shape I possibly can be , '' Tackett said . At 50 , Deborah Elston says she 's in the best shape of her life . The Chicago , Illinois , resident does yoga and walks at least 15 miles a week . She and her partner regularly walk 13.1-mile half marathons , and Elston recently completed 26-mile marathon walk with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society . Although she was not athletic in her younger years , Elston works hard to stay active . Her brother died of a heart attack in February 2004 at the age of 39 , a tragedy that strengthened her desire to be healthy . `` If that is n't a wakeup call to live each day as if it were your last , nothing is , '' she wrote on iReport.com . Although Elston said the thought of turning 50 initially scared her , she continues to feel `` young at heart . '' iReport.com : See why Elston thinks `` 50 is the new 30 '' `` I feel great and plan on fighting the aging process every step of the way , '' she said . Like many iReporters , Carol Herm is embracing 50 with open arms . The mother of three celebrated her 50th in December and said that , since then , `` life has taken off . '' `` I feel like I am the best ` me ' I have ever been , '' she wrote on iReport.com . `` I am confident and so sure of myself , something that I never enjoyed in my younger years . '' Herm , who lives in Newtown Square , Pennsylvania , said she and her husband love being 50 . With three grown children , they spend more time together and less time worrying about the cost of braces , tuition and other expenses . `` This is an awesome age , '' Herm said . `` My husband and I are enjoying every minute . '' Elonda Abrams of Beaverton , Oregon , agrees . `` Turning 50 has given me a new awakening and zest for life , '' she said . Abrams explained that a vigorous lifestyle is achieved physically and mentally . She exercises often , has a healthy diet , surrounds herself with positive friends and regularly attends church . Abrams believes that Madonna is just one example of `` the 50 , fit and foxy club . '' `` I want to be an example to women all over that age really does n't matter . ''", "question": "How much weight did John Tackett lose ?", "answer": "140 pounds"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A judge has ordered mediation in the case of a teen girl who says her family threatened to kill her for converting from Islam to Christianity . Rifqa Bary , 17 , ran away from her family in Columbus , Ohio , in July . She claims her father threatened to kill her . The 17-year-old girl , Rifqa Bary , ran away from her family in Columbus , Ohio , in July and took refuge in the home of the Rev. Blake Lorenz with the Global Revolution Church in Orlando , Florida . Bary 's parents want her back home . At a court hearing Thursday in Orlando , the girl 's parents denied all the allegations against them . Also at the hearing , Judge Daniel Dawson of the Orange County Juvenile Court ordered the girl and her parents to seek the mediation within 30 days . The judge had previously ruled that the girl will remain in Florida foster care until the allegations are resolved . The parents , Mohamed and Aysha Bary , could not attend the hearing in person but listened through a telephone conference as their lawyer spoke for them . They denied they ever threatened to kill their daughter because she converted to Christianity . Mohamed Bary told CNN he believes a lot of false information has been circulated about the case . `` We would n't do her harm , '' the father said , adding that he knew his daughter was involved with Christian organizations . `` I have no problem with her practicing any faith , '' he said . But Bary conceded he would have preferred that his daughter practice the Muslim faith first . The teen had heard of pastor Lorenz and his church through a prayer group on Facebook . The girl 's parents reported her missing to Columbus police , who found her two weeks later in Florida through cell phone records . The teenager , in a sworn affidavit , claims her father , 47 , was pressured by the mosque the family attends in Ohio to `` deal with the situation . '' In the court filing , Rifqa Bary stated her father said , `` If you have this Jesus in your heart , you are dead to me ! '' The teenager claims her father added , `` I will kill you ! '' Watch the teen talk about her fears '' Also at Thursday 's hearing , the judge sealed a report on the girl from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and issued a gag order for attorneys in the case . At one point during the hearing , the girl 's court-appointed guardian , Krista Bartholomew , told the court : `` This is not a holy war but a case about a broken family . '' Outside the courthouse after the hearing , a Muslim activist and several Christian activists exchanged words over the case . Watch the heated exchanges '' Another hearing is scheduled for September 29 if the family is not able to resolve the conflict through mediation .", "question": "Who orders teen and her family to seek mediation within 30 days ?", "answer": "Judge Daniel Dawson"}, {"story_text": "BEIJING , China -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Travelers to China who display flu-like symptoms may be randomly quarantined over concerns of the swine flu virus , the U.S. State Department warned . A child traveling with his parents wears a face mask after they arrive at the Beijing , China , airport . There have been cases of children being separated from parents after either tested positive for the virus , also known as H1N1 , a travel alert said Friday . Chinese officials may give medications to minors in such cases without consulting their parents , according to the alert . `` Although the proportion of arriving Americans being quarantined remains low , the random nature of the selection process increases the uncertainty surrounding travel to China , '' the alert said . Swine flu is a respiratory disease of pigs transmitted to humans and caused by type A influenza virus . Symptoms include fever , lethargy , lack of appetite and coughing . There have been about 48,000 confirmed cases worldwide , including 519 in China , according to the World Health Organization . The Chinese government has taken measures to stop the spread of the virus . They include placing passengers who have fever or flu-like symptoms on a seven-day quarantine , the alert said . Others facing quarantine include those sitting close to travelers with symptoms , those with elevated temperatures and those from areas where virus outbreaks have occurred . A 15-year-old from Topeka , Kansas , told CNN on Monday that she was quarantined in Beijing for a week . `` Apparently , I was sitting too close to a man who had a fever on the 14-hour plane ride , '' Kaitlin Hannigan said , adding that she initially thought she had a fever , but her temperature was fine when officials checked it . A day after she arrived in Beijing with an educational group , government officials showed up at her hotel . `` They were wearing quarantine suits , goggles and masks and , like , full body suits and gloves , and said I had to be quarantined for seven days because I came in contact with that guy , '' Hannigan said . Earlier in June , New Orleans , Louisiana , Mayor Ray Nagin was quarantined in Shanghai after possible exposure to the virus . Nagin was headed to Australia on an economic development trip when he was quarantined for four days after sitting beside a passenger who was being treated for suspected swine flu symptoms . Nagin showed no signs of illness . State officials warned Americans traveling to China that they have to follow local quarantines procedures . `` The U.S. Embassy will be unable to influence the duration of stay in quarantine for affected travelers , '' the statement said . The travel alert expires in September .", "question": "What are Chinese government officials trying to control ?", "answer": "stop the spread of the virus"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Rep. Charles Rangel , D-New York , will be formally admonished Friday by the House 's ethics committee for violating rules on receiving gifts , the committee announced Thursday . The issue centers on who paid for his and several other members of the Congressional Black Caucus ' 2007 and 2008 travel to the Caribbean . While the committee found that the other five caucus members committed no wrongdoing , Rangel `` violated the House gift rules by accepting payment for reimbursement for travel to the 2007 and 2008 conferences , '' it said in a written statement . Rangel 's staff knew corporations had given money to the Carib News , which sponsored the events , the statement said . That fact had not been divulged to the ethics committee when Rangel asked for and received approval to accept the trip , the statement said . The ethics committee also found that Rangel did not know of the contributions . Nonetheless , he would be held responsible . `` The committee does not find sufficient evidence to conclude , nor does it believe that it would discover additional evidence to alter its conclusion , that Representative Rangel had actual knowledge of the memoranda written by his staff . However , the report finds that Representative Rangel was responsible for the knowledge and actions of his staff in the performance of their official duties . '' The powerful chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee -- the lead body for writing tax law in the House -- will have to repay the costs of the trips , according to the statement , which did not indicate how much that would be . `` I do n't want to be critical of the committee but common sense dictates that members of Congress should not be held responsible for what could be the wrongdoing or mistakes or errors of staff unless there 's reason to believe that the member knew or should have known , '' Rangel told reporters late Thursday night . `` And there 's nothing in the record to indicate the latter . '' Rangel told reporters he would meet with his lawyer to discuss the report -- which calls itself a service of `` public admonishment '' -- and how it is that he is being held responsible for his staff 's actions . He will refund the costs as directed by the ethics committee , Rangel spokesmen Elbert Garcia and Emile Milne said in a written statement . Two staff members knew of the corporate funding and one was `` discharged , '' Rangel said . He did not provide further details . Asked about the matter , House Minority Leader John Boehner said he did n't know all the facts . But , when reminded that he had previously called for Rangel to step aside , he said : `` He should step aside until all this stuff in the ethics committee is resolved . '' An aide to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said , `` It 's to soon to say anything '' regarding whether Rangel will stay chairman of the committee . `` We have received nothing from ethics , '' said Brendan Daly . A nonprofit ethics group voiced its opinion on the statement Thursday , saying Rangel should n't be the only person admonished . `` The ethics committee 's decision makes no sense , '' Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington 's Executive Director Melanie Sloan said in a written statement . `` There is simply no reason for Rep. Rangel alone to be held accountable for taking this trip when a number of other members were also present . '' The ethics committee first announced its investigation into the Caribbean travel in June . The five other Congressional members investigated -- Reps. Bennie Thompson , Yvette Clarke , Donald Payne , Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick and Donna Christensen -- did not `` knowingly violate '' rules because they were provided false information , the statement said . They will still have to repay the costs of their trips . For Rangel , the Carib News affair follows a string of entanglements with the ethics committee over several issues , including failure to report assets and pay taxes . CNN 's Brianna Keilar contributed to this story .", "question": "Who was the Rep.", "answer": "Charles Rangel"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN Student News -RRB- -- May 11 , 2009 Quick Guide Russia Victory Day - Discover how an anniversary is connected to a show of Russia 's military might . Charging for Content ? - Debate whether there 's a future in charging readers to view news content online . Final Visit - Depart the Earth 's surface for a maintenance mission needed in outer space . Transcript THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT . THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED . CARL AZUZ , CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR : It 's Monday , I 'm Carl Azuz , and this is CNN Student News ! Thank you for joining us . We 're gon na start things off with a quick check of some headlines . First Up : Headlines AZUZ : Fierce battles are still raging in northwestern Pakistan , where the country 's military is waging an assault against Taliban forces . Officials say as many as 200 members of the militant group were killed in a single day over the weekend . CNN ca n't confirm that information , because journalists are n't allowed in the region . The United Nations is concerned about this impact on civilians . Hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis are leaving the area to try and get away from the violence . And in California , firefighters are getting some help from the weather as they battle that blaze in Santa Barbara . Authorities say low winds and increased humidity are helping to keep the flames under control . The fire , which had destroyed or damaged about 80 homes , was at least 55 percent contained by Sunday . Russia Victory Day AZUZ : And Russia is celebrating the end of World War II with its 64th annual Victory Day . The occasion , which took place on Saturday , marks the date in 1945 when Nazi Germany officially surrendered to the former USSR , which Russia was part of at the time . As Matthew Chance shows us , the weekend ceremony gave Russia an opportunity to show off its military might . -LRB- BEGIN VIDEO CLIP -RRB- MATTHEW CHANCE , CNN CORRESPONDENT : Well , this is the biggest show of force in Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union . Columns of tanks and missile launchers thundered over the cobblestones of Red Square in the center of Moscow for these Victory Day celebrations , marking the defeat of Nazi Germany but also reflecting the Kremlin 's efforts to revive Russia 's armed forces and global power . Well , opening the parade , Russia 's President Dmitry Medvedev told spectators that Russia 's military is ready to respond to any aggression , and he referred obliquely to the country 's brief war with the neighboring former Soviet republic of Georgia last year . DMITRY MEDVEDEV , PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA -LRB- TRANSLATED -RRB- : Now more than ever , it is clear a safe world is possible only where international law is strictly abided by . And that is why our country has initiated a new treaty on European security . Security based on safe arms control and reasonable sufficiency of military construction for the broadest cooperation of states and the exclusively peaceful settlement of conflicts . And we will firmly pursue the execution of these principles . CHANCE : About 9,000 troops took part in a display of military equipment which , for the first time , included state-of-the-art S400 air defense missiles , which the United States and others is concerned may be sold to Iran . Russia also rolled out its new Topol-M intercontinental ballistic missiles , a stock reminder that this fast country remains a formidable nuclear power . Matthew Chance , CNN , Moscow . -LRB- END VIDEO CLIP -RRB- ID Me ERIK NIVISON , CNN STUDENT NEWS : See if you can I.D. Me ! I first appeared in the United States in the late 1600s . I 'm a printed item that 's usually published daily or weekly . I 've been a major source of news for millions of people around the world . I 'm the newspaper , the answer to that old joke , `` What 's black and white and read all over ? '' Charging for Content ? AZUZ : Except newspapers are n't being read as much these days . In fact , at least 120 of them have closed in the U.S. since January of 2008 . One reason : Readers are getting their news for free online at sites like CNN.com . But a major media tycoon who just happens to own some newspapers , says the days of free , online content could be coming to an end . Jim Boulden covers the unfolding issue . -LRB- BEGIN VIDEO CLIP -RRB- JIM BOULDEN , CNN CORRESPONDENT : Rupert Murdoch has floated the idea that some of his general newspapers , like the New York Post , the London Times or The Sun , could follow the model of his Wall St. Journal and charge readers for online content . But with content free for so long , will people pay ? WOMAN ON THE STREET # 1 : No , probably not . You can find almost all the same information somewhere . WOMAN ON THE STREET # 2 : No . I would look somewhere else . BOULDEN : Though Mr. Murdoch will be happy to hear this man would pay for his London Times online . MAN ON THE STREET # 1 : Just because it 's quicker and easier to get it online when you are at home . BOULDEN : Still , some do n't even bother to view the free stuff . WOMAN ON THE STREET # 3 : Newspaper . MAN ON THE STREET # 2 : Actual physical newspapers . BOULDEN : Many news sites , like the New York Times , ask users to register for free . That information can tell potential advertisers who uses the site and for how long . The New York Times.com does charge those who do n't get the physical paper for a little bit of premium content . Others , like Reuters , hold back a lot . TOM GLOCER , CEO , THOMSON REUTERS : The high grade , the high octane stuff we really reserve for our professional customers . So , they 've always paid on a subscription basis and we never make that content free , because it 's vital for people to their jobs . BOULDEN : The Financial Times also charges for anyone wanting to go beyond the basics . It currently has 110,000 paid subscribers . Managing director Rob Grimshaw wants to enhance its charging model . ROB GRIMSHAW , FT.COM : I am very , very interested in exploring some of the possibilities around micro payments , either for individual articles or for access to the site for a shorter period of time . And I think we ought to have a pricing model which actually suits how each individual user wants to access the site . BOULDEN : The FT points out that it can count on subscriptions and focus on increasing those with advertising eroding , something sites that do n't charge ca n't fall back on . That is why Murdoch 's News Corp. empire is keen to see if people will pay to play . -LRB- END VIDEO CLIP -RRB- Shoutout TOMEKA JONES , CNN STUDENT NEWS : Time for the Shoutout ! When did the Hubble Space Telescope send its first pictures back to Earth ? Was it in : A -RRB- 1980 , B -RRB- 1985 , C -RRB- 1990 or D -RRB- 1995 ? You 've got three seconds -- GO ! Hubble has been taking pictures since 1990 , although initial problems caused its first images to be fuzzy . That 's your answer and that 's your Shoutout ! Final Visit AZUZ : Despite some early setbacks , the Hubble Telescope has revolutionized the field of astronomy . Earth 's atmosphere , look up and you 'll see it , makes it difficult for astronomers on the ground to get a complete view of things in outer space . But from its orbit outside the atmosphere , Hubble has a perfect spot . NASA is getting ready to upgrade the telescope . John Zarrella explains how they plan to do it . -LRB- BEGIN VIDEO CLIP -RRB- JOHN ZARRELLA , CNN CORRESPONDENT : For nearly twenty years , the Hubble Space Telescope has been sending back breathtaking images of galaxies and stars and planets . It has transformed how astronomers and cosmologists view the universe and our place in it . JOHN GRUNSFELD , SHUTTLE ATLANTIS MISSION SPECIALIST : Where do planetary systems , where do stars come from ? Hubble has been a tool to answer these fundamental questions that get right at the heart of who we are . ZARRELLA : Now , a team of astronauts will make the fifth and final visit to repair and upgrade Hubble . The objective : extend the telescope 's life at least another five years . It wo n't be easy . The pressure on the shuttle Atlantis crew , immense . SCOTT ALTMAN , SHUTTLE ATLANTIS COMMANDER : We know there 's nobody coming after us to do anything we do n't get done . This is it . We either get it done or it does n't happen . ZARRELLA : 350 miles up , Atlantis will chase down and grab hold of the telescope . For five consecutive days during five seven-hour spacewalks , astronauts will perform the ultimate high-wire act . They 'll change out gyroscopes and batteries , repair and replace cameras . They 'll change circuit boards , remove dozens of screws and delicately cut through aluminum . GRUNSFELD : It 's almost as if I 'm not doing it . It 's kind of a Zen thing , and once we finish the task and I climb back out of the telescope , I 'll look around and go , `` Wow , we 're in space . '' ZARRELLA : Hubble has been such an incredible watershed of knowledge , the dark days right after its launch in 1990 have largely been forgotten . JEFFREY HOFFMAN , RETIRED SHUTTLE ASTRONAUT : There was a time when Hubble was a laughing stock . You know , the `` techno turkey . '' You know , pictures in editorial cartoons , denounced on the floors of Congress , ridiculed in late night television programs . ZARRELLA : The telescope 's primary mirror was flawed , not quite the right shape , off a measly 1/50 , the thickness of a sheet of paper , but just enough to blur the images from space . The first servicing mission fixed the problem , saving the Hubble program . Now , 19 years later , the last visit . HOFFMAN : That 's been the wonderful thing about the ability to service Hubble , is that we do n't just repair it . We leave it a new telescope every time we come back . GRUNSFELD : It 's impossible not to give it some human characteristics and feel sadness when we see it floating away . ZARRELLA : If all goes well , scientists expect the new and improved Hubble will soon wow them and us with discoveries perhaps beyond our dreams . John Zarrella , CNN , at the Johnson Space Center in Houston . -LRB- END VIDEO CLIP -RRB- Before We Go AZUZ : We 're gon na end this show with a bang ! Instant replay ! One more time ! After all that excitement , let 's cool off with some soda . That 's why you do n't shake it up first . Now it might be hard to swallow , but this is actually part of the world 's largest physics lesson , with more than 7,000 students taking part in the scientific spectacle . Goodbye AZUZ : Makes sense , using exploding soda bottles to study fizz-ics . For CNN Student News , I 'm Carl Azuz .", "question": "What about the Earth 's surface ?", "answer": "Depart the Earth 's surface for a maintenance mission needed in outer space"}, {"story_text": "Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Federal Aviation Administration revoked the licenses of two Northwest Airlines pilots Tuesday in an extraordinary letter in which the agency chastised the pair , saying they endangered the public by flying an hour and half without contacting controllers `` while you were on a frolic of your own . '' The letter to Northwest Captain Timothy B. Cheney and First Officer Richard I. Cole puts the total time the pilots maintained radio silence at 91 minutes -- 13 minutes longer than originally defined by federal investigators . The letter said the pilots were `` extremely reckless . '' `` Not only did you not comply with ... -LSB- air traffic controller -RSB- instructions , you did not even monitor the aircraft 's air-ground radios , '' the letter said . `` You were disengaged and impervious to the serious threat to your own safety , as well as the safety of people for whom you are responsible . This is a total dereliction and disregard for your duties . '' The letter provides new details about the flight . Cheney , 53 , and Cole , 54 , were piloting Flight 188 from San Diego , California , to the Minneapolis-St . Paul airport in Minnesota on Wednesday when air traffic controllers lost radio contact with the Airbus A320 over the Denver , Colorado , area . Instead of beginning to descend as planned about 22 minutes before its scheduled arrival , the plane continued flying at its cruise altitude of 35,000 feet and passed over the Minnesota airport . At 8:14 p.m. CT -- 36 minutes after the plane was to begin its descent and 14 minutes after its scheduled arrival -- the pilots contacted controllers , the FAA said . One of the pilots radioed : `` We got distracted and we 've overflown MSP -LSB- Minneapolis-St . Paul airport -RSB- . We are overhead EAU -LSB- Eau Claire , Wisconsin -RSB- and would like to make a 180 and to -LSB- make -RSB- an arrival from over EAU . '' Cheney and Cole told federal investigators that they `` lost track of time '' while working on personal laptop computers , the National Transportation Safety Board said . They became aware of their plane 's position only after a flight attendant asked about the landing time , according to the NTSB . The FAA said the revocations cite several violations of regulations , including failure to comply with air traffic control and clearances and operating carelessly and recklessly . The pilots have 10 days to appeal the revocations , which are effective immediately , to the NTSB , the FAA said . Flight 188 carried 144 passengers , the two pilots and three flight attendants . Cheney was hired in 1985 and has more than 20,000 hours of flight time , while Cole was hired in 1997 and has about 11,000 hours of flight time , according to an NTSB report released Monday . Neither pilot reported having had an accident , incident or violation , neither had any ongoing medical conditions , and neither said he was tired , the report said . They each had had a 19-hour layover in San Diego ; neither said he had slept or argued during the flight , but both said `` there was a distraction '' in the cockpit , according to the report . The pilots said there was `` a concentrated period of discussion where they did not monitor the airplane or calls '' from air traffic control , though both said they heard conversation on the radio , the report said . Neither pilot said he noticed messages sent by company dispatchers , the report added . It said the men were talking about a new monthly crew flight scheduling system that was put into place in the wake of Northwest 's merger with Delta Air Lines . `` Each pilot accessed and used his personal laptop computer while they discussed the airline crew flight scheduling procedure , '' the report said . `` The first officer , who was more familiar with the procedure , was providing instruction to the captain . '' After landing at the Minneapolis-St . Paul airport , both voluntarily underwent alcohol breath tests , which proved negative , the report said .", "question": "How long was the silence ?", "answer": "91 minutes"}, {"story_text": "TEGUCIGALPA , Honduras -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The de facto president of Honduras denied Wednesday that his government turned off the power at the embassy where deposed President Jose Manual Zelaya surprisingly reappeared this week , and said that the people inside were free to come and go . A soldier takes a picture Wednesday of the Brazilian Embassy in Tegucigalpa , Honduras . Honduran forces also will not enter the Brazilian embassy , where Zelaya has been housed since Monday , de facto President Roberto Micheletti said in an interview with CNN en Espa\u00f1ol . But these developments do not spare Zelaya , who was ousted in a June 28 coup , from being arrested and facing charges for violating the constitution if he leaves the safe haven of the embassy , Micheletti said . `` President Zelaya should present himself before the tribunals of justice in our country where he has charges against him , '' Micheletti said . The de facto president challenged versions of events surrounding Zelaya 's return . Despite local reports citing police officials that authorities turned off the power to the embassy and surrounding area ostensibly to discourage looting , Micheletti said that a congregation of pro-Zelaya protesters at the embassy short-circuited the power themselves . As of Wednesday , power was restored to the building , Micheletti said . A nationwide curfew was lifted Wednesday , but a security cordon remained in the area around the embassy . Micheletti said that the police were there because the people inside the embassy requested the protection , and said , `` We are not impeding the exit nor the entrance of absolutely anybody . '' Zelaya 's announced return has re-ignited a stand-off between the two disputed leaders of Honduras . Brazil now finds itself involved because of its embassy . Brazil wants an emergency United Nations Security Council meeting to discuss the situation , the official Brazilian news agency reported . In another development , Micheletti said he is willing to meet anywhere with ousted President Jose Manuel Zelaya as long as Zelaya agrees to abide by presidential elections scheduled for November 29 . But the de facto leader said in a statement read by his foreign minister Tuesday that his offer to talk with Zelaya does not nullify an arrest warrant issued against the ousted president by the nation 's Supreme Court . `` I think that what the whole world should understand about this country is that there is no immunity for anyone -- for anyone , '' Micheletti told CNN en Espa\u00f1ol . `` And , no one can be above the law . '' Micheletti 's willingness to engage Zelaya seemed to be a reversal of his position . On Tuesday , he had said in an interview with local network Televicentro that Zelaya 's sudden appearance would not revive negotiations to have him return to power . The United States and Brazil have said they support dialogue between the two sides , centered on the San Jose Accord , an agreement negotiated by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias . That deal calls for Zelaya to be restored to power . The Brazilian request for a Security Council meeting came after the Honduran government isolated the embassy by cutting water , power and phone lines to the building , U.S. State Department spokesman Ian Kelly confirmed to reporters Tuesday in Washington . This was the same action that Micheletti denied Wednesday . Micheletti said that other nations have not given his government a fair hearing of its position . `` This is what we Hondurans want : to be heard , for them to read our constitution , to read our laws , and to see what happened before June 28 , '' Micheletti said . The de facto government argues that Zelaya was not removed in a coup , but in a constitutional transfer of power . Zelaya , a centrist whose politics took a strong turn to the left once in office , was ousted in a June 28 military-backed coup . Despite increasing political , diplomatic and economic isolation , Micheletti has steadfastly resisted pressure to allow Zelaya to return to power and Micheletti thwarted two very public attempts by Zelaya to return to his homeland . `` Yes , we are alone , but we are surviving , '' Micheletti said . `` Two months ago , people did n't think we would withstand all this time , but here we are almost three months later . '' Amnesty International issued a statement Wednesday in which the human rights group `` denounced a sharp rise in police beatings , mass arrests of demonstrators and intimidation of human rights defenders in Honduras since the June coup d'\u00e9tat and warned that fundamental rights and the rule of law in the Central American nation are in grave jeopardy . '' The organization said police fired tear gas Tuesday at a building housing a prominent human rights organization . Around 100 people , including women and children , were inside , Amnesty International said . Many were there to denounce what they said were police abuse while breaking up the demonstration outside the Brazilian Embassy , the rights group said . `` The situation in Honduras can only be described as alarming , '' said Susan Lee , Americas director at Amnesty International . `` The attacks against human rights defenders , suspension of news outlets , beating of demonstrators by the police and ever increasing reports of mass arrests indicate that human rights and the rule of law in Honduras are at grave risk . '' It was still not publicly known Wednesday how Zelaya got into the country and he declined to provide details , only telling CNN en Espa\u00f1ol on Tuesday that it was a 15 - to 16-hour trip he took `` with the help of Hondurans . '' Journalist Elvin Sandoval contributed to this report for CNN en Espa\u00f1ol .", "question": "who cut utilities", "answer": "Honduran government"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A slightly higher number of Americans will travel Thanksgiving holiday weekend compared with last year , but those traveling by air is expected to decline , AAA said . The association , which surveyed 1,350 American households , projects that 38.4 million Americans will travel over the holiday weekend , up from 37.8 million last year . However , the number traveling by air is expected to decline to 2.3 million , the automobile association said . In 2008 , 2.5 million Americans traveled by plane for Thanksgiving . `` We do this every year , '' said Mindy Potter of Atlanta , Georgia , who was flying with her husband and 6-year-old son . `` It 's insanity every year . '' Potter said she and her family were headed Wednesday to Hot Springs Village , Arkansas , to see her husband 's family . See the FAA 's flight delays map She said they were allowing themselves plenty of time at the airport . `` My husband 's a stickler for going early , '' she said . `` If I was in charge of it , we 'd probably have a frenzied rush . '' AAA said the slight increase in the number of Thanksgiving travelers from last year reflects improved consumer confidence as well as `` a growing sense among many consumers that the worst of the global economic crisis is behind us . '' Travelers are still concerned about the economy , said AAA spokesman Geoff Sundstrom , and the numbers remain well down from two years ago . `` Clearly , there was a huge drop-off in the number of people traveling last year , '' he said . According to the association , Thanksgiving travel dropped 25.2 percent last year , compared with 2007 . Still , Sundstrom added , `` We are encouraged that the numbers have stabilized and turning up from what they were a year ago . '' The bulk of Thanksgiving travelers -- about 33.2 million -- will be traveling by car , AAA said . Jennifer Burrell of Tucker , Georgia , said she , her husband and their two daughters were driving Thursday morning to the Asheville , North Carolina , area , and will return Sunday . She said she was n't expecting traffic on the way there but `` it always gets heavy '' on the return trip . In addition to those traveling by car , some 2.9 million will travel by train , watercraft , bus or a combination of transportation modes , and 2.3 million will travel by air , the automobile association predicted . Citing excess baggage fees and surcharges for jet fuel , along with delays and flight groundings , Sundstrom said that it 's `` not a very friendly environment this decade for the airline industry or the airline traveler . '' As in earlier years , the Federal Aviation Administration said military airspace will be opened to commercial flights along the East and West coasts and in the Southwest in an attempt to alleviate congestion . The airspace will be opened from Tuesday to Monday , spokesman Paul Takemoto said . As of Tuesday afternoon , the FAA Web site was reporting slight delays because of `` weather/wind '' at New York 's LaGuardia Airport . Of course , some Americans are not traveling at all . Heather McKinnon of Broomfield , Colorado , said she is staying home with family for Thanksgiving . `` I do n't like to fly and really rarely like flying on holidays , '' she said , adding that she would consider driving . `` I know what it 's like going through the airport , '' she said . Plus , she added , `` Everything I love is here . ''", "question": "how many american traveled by air last year ?", "answer": "37.8 million"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A one-of-a-kind bicycle belonging to U.S. cycling legend Lance Armstrong was stolen from a team truck in California just hours after he rode it Saturday on the first day of a nine-day race . Lance Armstrong is racing in the California Amgen Tour as he attempts a comeback after retiring in 2005 . Cancer survivor and seven-time Tour de France champion Armstrong is racing in the Amgen Tour of California this week as he continues his latest comeback after retiring from the sport in 2005 . Armstrong 's first comeback came in 1998 , two years after he was diagnosed with advanced testicular cancer that had spread to his lungs and brain . Doctors gave him a less than 50 percent chance of survival . Armstrong announced the bike theft on his Twitter account Sunday morning and posted a photograph . '' There is only one like it in the world therefore hard to pawn it off . Reward being offered , '' the Texan wrote before going out and finishing fifth in Sunday 's testing first stage won by Spain 's Francisco Mancebo . Swiss Olympic champion Fabian Cancellara , who started the day in the yellow jersey after winning Saturday 's time-trial prologue , pulled out midway through the stage feeling unwell . Armstrong improved from 10th to fifth overall , one minute five seconds adrift , with Astana teammate Levi Leipheimer , the two-time defending champion , in second place behind Mancebo . `` Holy hell . That was terrible , '' commented Armstrong who had a puncture . `` Maybe one of the toughest days I 've had on a bike , purely based on the conditions . I 'm still freezing . '' The bicycle that was stolen is not the one that Armstrong rides every day during the race . The stolen bike is used only for time trials , a race in which cyclists ride individually at staggered intervals over a set distance and try to get the best time . The thieves took four bikes from a truck Armstrong 's Astana team had parked behind a hotel in Sacramento . The other three bicycles belonged to team members Janez Brajkovic , Steve Morabito and Yaroslav Popovych , Astana said . Armstrong , 37 , won the Tour de France , considered the premiere bicycle race in the world , a record seven times from 1999-2005 . The 750-mile Amgen Tour of California ends Sunday . It is the second major race in which Armstrong has participated since announcing his comeback in September . He raced last month in the Tour Down Under in Australia , finishing 29th . Armstrong said he is aiming for another Tour de France victory this summer and was not expected to contend in the Australian race , which he used to gauge his fitness level after more than three years out of the saddle .", "question": "What makes the bicycle special ?", "answer": "There is only one like it in the world"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The owner of a North Carolina beach house where seven college students died in a weekend fire said Monday that his family 's `` lives were just changed forever '' by the tragedy . Chip Auman said his 18-year-old daughter survived the fire but was hospitalized and in stable condition because of complications from smoke inhalation . `` The thought of losing a child is unimaginable to me , and as a father my heart goes out to the families that lost a loved one in this situation , '' he said . Auman said the situation was `` hard to fathom . '' `` There 's just no words to describe what we 've been going through , '' he said , asking for prayers for survivors and the families of those who died . `` We 're numb , we 're confused , we 're heartbroken . '' Two college campuses mourned Monday . Six University of South Carolina students and a Clemson University student died in the fire early Sunday morning in Ocean Isle Beach , North Carolina . Six other South Carolina students were able to get out of the house in time . The six were treated and released from nearby Brunswick Community Hospital , but Auman 's daughter was hospitalized again in Hartsville , South Carolina . Authorities from the state Bureau of Investigation and the federal Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives are leading the investigation into the cause of the fire . Ocean Isle Beach Mayor Debbie Smith said the house was `` engulfed '' in flames when the fire department arrived on the scene , about five minutes after being notified . The flames shot into the sky and ultimately left little more than portions of the framing . Fire officials do not believe foul play was involved . Watch a neighbor 's video , fears of fast-burning fire '' Dennis A. Pruitt , the vice president for student affairs for the University of South Carolina , said investigators have said it would be Tuesday or Wednesday before the identities of the victims are confirmed publicly . It could be as much as a month until investigators know the cause of the fire , Pruitt said . The university did not cancel classes on Monday , but Pruitt said arrangements had been made for those who need to go home or stay out of class at the 28,000-student campus . Pruitt said meetings had been held Sunday with members of Delta Delta Delta sorority and Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity . The South Carolina students were affiliated with those houses , he said , although he stressed that the weekend was not an official Greek function . He also said counselors and ministers were available to help students deal with the loss of their classmates . The university president , Dr. Andrew Sorenson , contacted the families of those who died in the fire to express the condolences and support of the university community . Jay Laura , student president of the USC chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon , said the campus would pull together after the tragedy . `` If any place can come together to help in the healing process and the aftermath of an event like this , it is South Carolina , '' Laura said at a Monday afternoon press conference . Fire survivor Tripp Wylie , a 20-year-old South Carolina sophomore , said he jumped out of a third-story window into a canal to escape the flames and was unable to get back in to help his friends . `` I could see a buddy of mine off to the left who had gotten out . He was just yelling at me to jump and stuff , '' Wylie told CNN affiliate WYFF . `` The smoke was pouring out , could n't really breathe , so I had to make a quick decision . -LSB- I -RSB- just kind of leaned out the window and luckily I jumped far enough to make it into the canal . '' Neighbors flocked to see the fire as firefighters battled and ultimately got the blaze under control . See the scenes of devastation '' George Smith , who lives across the street from the house , said he heard sirens between 6:30 and 7 a.m. and went outside to see `` the whole sky lit up . '' `` The whole house was completely engulfed in flames , up to about 20 feet , '' he said . `` I have never seen -LSB- a fire -RSB- move so fast . '' George Smith said the house 's occupants were `` partying in there yesterday and into the night . '' After about 10:30 p.m. Saturday they quieted down , he said . Linda Sing said she was walking her dog when she saw the fiery destruction . She noted that firefighters had saved an adjacent house by spraying it down with water . `` We knew there were people in there , but we hoped and prayed they 'd gotten out , '' Sing said . `` This is the worst thing I 've ever seen . We 've had hurricanes , but this is worse . '' Ocean Isle Beach is a popular resort destination along North Carolina 's southern coast . The year-round population of the 7-mile-long island is about 425 , but it swells to about 25,000 during the summer season , according to the town 's Web site . E-mail to a friend", "question": "In which way did one survivor escape ?", "answer": "he jumped out of a third-story window into a canal to"}, {"story_text": "LONDON , -LRB- England -RRB- CNN -- Natalia Vodianova is best known as the supermodel who has graced the cover of Vogue , walked the catwalk for the likes of Chanel and Versace . Supermodel Natalia Vodianova 's charity plans to build hundreds of play parks for children in her native Russia . But Vodianova has a dream that could n't be further from the glitzy world of fashion -- to build 500 play parks in her native Russia . Vodianova , born and raised in Russia , was in the country during the 2004 Beslan school siege , in which at least 339 hostages , around half of them children , were killed . Deeply affected by the tragedy she returned to New York , where she was living at the time , determined to do something to help the surviving children . Vodianova organized a fundraising event that generated $ 350,000 to build the children a playground and she founded her charity , the `` Naked Heart Foundation . '' With an ethos that play is not only therapeutic for children , but a necessity , the foundation aims to provide playgrounds for Russia 's urban youth . So far the charity has built 23 playgrounds around the country , starting in her home town of Nizhnii Novgorod , and there are 15 more in the pipeline . `` For me , since I started my charity , it has been a very different way of life , '' Vodianova told CNN . Watch Vodianova take CNN around Moscow '' `` Giving back just feels so great . I always try to open each play park with myself present for the children , because it makes it more special for them . I go to very remote parts of Russia are far from Moscow and it gives these children an extra message of love . '' For Vodianova , this is just the start . She told CNN that her dream is to build 500 play parks in Russia . The charity 's play parks can cost anywhere between $ 27,000 and $ 400,000 , depending on their size and range of play equipment . Vodianova admits , `` It 's a big dream -- an expensive one ! '' When it comes to fundraising , Vodianova 's secret weapon is her connections in the fashion world . Last year she organized a `` Love Ball '' in Moscow -- a Valentine 's Day fundraiser that counted among the guests the likes of designer Valentino , actress Lucy Liu , singer Natalie Imbruglia , and supermodel Eva Herzigova . See photos of `` The Love Ball . '' '' The event was held in a former royal residence , Moscow 's 16th century Tsaritsino Estate . It featured an ice palace made from 220 tons of ice and music provided by British band Razorlight , among others . The highlight was a Valentine 's - themed auction , with lots including a private performance from rock star Bryan Adams , bought for $ 120,000 , and a painting by British artist Damien Hirst called `` Love is All Around , '' which sold for $ 1.6 million . The auction alone raised $ 6.7 million for the charity . Vodianova admits that the global economic crisis is making it harder to get sponsorship for this year 's event and says it will be more low-key than last year . `` We are not going to make it a very extravagant event ; it 's very disrespectful of what 's going on in the world right now , with the recession and a lot of people losing their jobs . `` We 're not gong to spend a lot of money on it , but it 's important to keep going , '' she told CNN . With a husband and three young children , Vodianova says it can be hard to divide her time between family , career and her charity . She describes her charity work as a 24-hour job . `` I feel a huge sense of responsibility for my foundation because it 's really very important to me . Somehow it became my most difficult baby to raise , '' she says . But she has no doubt about the value of her work , both for Russia 's children and herself . `` The biggest thing I can do for my soul is to hear that laughter and to see all these children that come and play on the play parks that my foundation built . '' CNN Producer Deborah Rivers contributed to this report", "question": "What is Natalia Vodianova 's dream ?", "answer": "to build 500 play parks in her native Russia"}, {"story_text": "NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- On May 4 , 2007 , Kara Kopetsky , a 17-year-old high school junior in Belton , Missouri , was not having a good day . Kara Kopetsky , 17 , left school early in Belton , Missouri , on May 4 , 2007 , and has n't been seen since . She forgot one of her textbooks and called home and asked her mom to drop it off at the school office . She also asked her mother to wash her uniform so she could work the 4 p.m. shift at Popeye 's Chicken . Later that morning , Kara had an argument with one of her teachers in class , according to police and her family . Frustrated , she left campus about 10:30 a.m. , ditching school for the rest of the day . A school surveillance video shows her walking out . But no one can say which way she went , or whether she got into a car . It was the last time anyone saw or heard from her . Police say there has been no activity on Kara 's cell phone since shortly after she walked out of school . They followed some pings from the phone , conducted some searches , but found nothing significant . Beyond that , they are n't commenting . Watch an update on the case '' Kara 's stepfather says the cell phone 's long silence makes him suspicious . `` This does n't make any sense , '' said Jim Beckford . `` Kara was on her cell phone sending texts constantly . Her cell phone bill was typically 80-100 pages long . '' When Kara did n't come home from school as usual , her family -- mother Rhonda , stepfather Jim and stepbrother Thomas -- grew worried . They filed a missing persons report later that afternoon . Police told them they believed Kara was a runaway , and that she 'd come back on her own in a few days . Two years later , her family has n't heard a word from Kara . She left behind most of her belongings -- money , clothes , iPod and a new carton of cigarettes . Her bank debit card was left in her school locker and her bank account , with $ 150 from her recent paycheck , remains untouched . According to police in Belton , the case is being actively investigated . But with no certain evidence of foul play , police continue to characterize Kara 's disappearance as an endangered and missing adult case . The state of Missouri considers Kara Kopetsky to be an adult because she was 17 when she disappeared . Belton Police Capt. Don Spears said police are looking at several persons of interest , but have n't narrowed their investigation to focus on a single suspect . Her family says she has no history of running away . They say they fear that she was abducted when she left school that day . `` She is a very beautiful girl and so we often warned her to be careful , but like any teen , she had an attitude that she was invincible , '' her stepfather said . About a month after she disappeared , Kara 's case was eclipsed by another sensational case -- the abduction and slaying of Kelsey Smith . Smith was taken from a store parking lot in Overland Park , Kansas , and her body was found in the Missouri woods , six miles from Kara 's home in Belton . A suspect was charged , pleaded guilty , and is serving a life sentence . Police in Belton and Overland Park compared notes but could find no connection . According to family and police and Kara 's MySpace profile , she had an on-again , off-again boyfriend . He lived in her neighborhood , was 18 , and attended the same high school but dropped out earlier the spring Kara disappeared . Kara was trying to end the relationship , friends told police . It is unclear whether the two saw each other the day Kara vanished . A $ 30,000 reward is offered for tips leading to the whereabouts of Kara Kopetsky or the arrest of anyone responsible for her disappearance . Police and family urge people to call the Belton Police Department 's tip-line at 816-474-TIPS . Kara is described as 5 feet 5 inches tall and 125 pounds with brown hair and hazel eyes .", "question": "Who is Kara Kopetsky ?", "answer": "a 17-year-old high school junior in Belton , Missouri"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The man accused of killing 77 people in a terrorist rampage that shook Norway last summer is insane and can not be sentenced to prison or preventive detention , but can be confined to a mental hospital for the rest of his life , police said Tuesday . Anders Behring Breivik suffers `` grandiose delusions '' and `` believes he is chosen to decide who is to live and who is to die , '' Prosecutor Svein Holden announced . Police said psychiatrists had determined that the 32-year-old man was psychotic at the time of the attacks and during 13 interviews experts conducted with him afterward . The doctors also found him to be paranoid and schizophrenic , police said . The experts reached their conclusions after 36 hours of interviews with Breivik , police said . The extension of Breivik 's confinement under a compulsory mental health care order will be reviewed by a court every three years , police said . The court will consider whether he still represents a danger to society . Breivik had not been told of the psychiatrists ' findings , police said . His lawyers were expected to relay the news . The decision underscores the difference between the justice system in the United States and that in Norway , said James Alan Fox , a criminologist at Northeastern University in Boston . `` In the United States , it is extremely difficult to establish successfully an insanity defense , '' he told CNN in a telephone interview . `` You can be paranoid , yet still able to control your behavior and be legally responsible . '' In cases like the mass killing in Norway , `` there tends to be a tremendous amount of pressure from the public and maybe politicians as well to lock someone away for as long as possible , and bring justice to the victims , '' Fox said . Breivik is accused of killing eight people in Oslo and 69 who were among 700 mostly young people attending a Labour Party youth camp on nearby Utoya Island . He has pleaded not guilty but admits carrying out the attacks , the judge handling his case has said . Breivik is described by authorities as a right-wing Christian extremist . A 1,500-page manifesto attributed to Breivik posted on the Internet is critical of Muslim immigration and European liberalism , including the Labour Party . The manifesto predicts that a `` European civil war '' will lead to the execution of `` cultural Marxists '' and the banishment of Muslims . Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said in the aftermath of the attacks that his country had been fundamentally changed , but vowed that Norway would remain `` an open society . '' Oslo Mayor Fabian Stang said Norwegians would respond to the violence with equally powerful weapons : `` We 're going to punish him with democracy and love , '' he told CNN shortly after the killings . Still , memories of the slaughter on the island , where many of the campers survived by hiding behind rocks , remained acute on Tuesday . `` I will always have mixed feelings when I go back , of course , '' Labour Party member Eskil Pedersen told a reporter . `` I think about the 22nd of July and the dreadful things that happened that day , but I have been here every year and every summer since 2000 . A lot of my time as a youth has been here on this island . I have very many good memories as well . '' He said a memorial will be built there . `` Our aim is to reclaim Utoya , take it back as an island , have activities , have a summer camp here , '' he said . Relatives of some of the victims expressed disappointment at the decision on Breivik , a journalist from the Norwegian Broadcasting Corp. told CNN . `` They have looked forward to seeing him getting a sentence for the rest of his life for the acts he has committed , '' correspondent Tomm Kristiansen said . Public reaction is mixed , said journalist Olav Mellingsaeter . Most people are surprised , not angered , by the findings , he said . `` We must trust that the psychiatrists have done a thorough job , '' a 30-year-old student told the reporter . A 36-year-old woman said , `` As long as he does not escape , I do not care where he 's kept . '' At his trial in April , Breivik will have the opportunity to present evidence , police said . He has been in custody since his arrest on Utoya Island on the day of the killings , which marked the deadliest attack in Norway since World War II . CNN 's Tom Watkins , Richard Allen-Greene and Laura Smith-Spark contributed to this report .", "question": "who is Breivik ?", "answer": "man accused of killing 77 people in a terrorist rampage"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN Student News -RRB- -- March 18 , 2010 Download PDF maps related to today 's show : \u2022 Detroit , Michigan \u2022 Israel \u2022 Oxford University Transcript THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT . THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED . CARL AZUZ , CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR : A prestigious scholarship or a professional football career ? One student athlete is trying to prove that you can have both . I 'm Carl Azuz . CNN Student News starts right now ! First Up : Jobs Bill AZUZ : First up , a bill aimed at creating new jobs is about to become a law . A vote in the Senate put the final seal of approval on the legislation yesterday , moved it on to President Obama for his signature . The bill has gone back and forth in the House and the Senate . At $ 17.6 billion , it 's actually a scaled-down version of a jobs bill that was put together last month . Here 's some of what it includes : Tax breaks for companies that hire people who are currently unemployed . Tax breaks for businesses that spend money on major investments or purchases . And funding for highway and transit programs this year . Some experts say the bill could create 300,000 new jobs . Others say it does n't guarantee that companies will start hiring , and some lawmakers have argued that the bill does n't do nearly enough . Rising Waters AZUZ : In parts of the midwestern United States , National Guard members and local volunteers are fighting to keep the Red River at bay . A lot of these volunteers are high school and college students who are spending their spring breaks filling and stacking sandbags . The river 's waters are on the rise thanks to melting snow , and there 's a threat of serious flooding . This same thing happened last year when the Red River hit a record level in Fargo , North Dakota . Rob Marciano has more on the impact of the severe weather then and now . -LRB- BEGIN VIDEO -RRB- ROB MARCIANO , CNN METEOROLOGIST : In Fargo , North Dakota , residents are trying to stack one million sandbags in hopes of pushing back the Red River , which could crest 20 feet above flood stage later this week . Last year , about 100 homes in the area were damaged and thousands of people were evacuated when the Red did n't go down for a record 61 days and crested twice . In the Northeast , a wild storm has left hundreds of thousands of residents either without power or with most of what they own underwater . Trees ripped down power lines , tore up sidewalks and crushed cars . The storm is being blamed for at least seven deaths . Many had to leave their front doors by boat or in the arms of heavy equipment . -LRB- END VIDEO -RRB- I.D. Me RICK VINCENT , CNN STUDENT NEWS : See if you can I.D. Me ! I 'm a U.S. city that was founded in 1701 . I 'm known as the Motor City because of my connection to the auto industry . I 'm not the capital of Michigan , but I am the largest city in the state . I 'm Detroit , and I 'm home to about 4 million people . Closing AZUZ : In three months , more than 40 Detroit schools will be closed . It 's part of a $ 1 billion plan that was announced yesterday . The Detroit School District is looking for ways to cut costs . Officials say this plan will save $ 31 million in 2010 and help save money in the future . At a meeting to announce the proposal , Robert Bobb , the Emergency Financial Manager for Detroit Public Schools , said it will create a `` leaner , smarter '' school system . Detroit is dealing with buildings and facilities that are getting older . Plus , student enrollment in the district has dropped significantly ; there are 50,000 empty seats . Community members will get a chance to offer feedback at a series of town hall meetings . But yesterday , Mr. Bobb outlined the long-term goals for the district . ROBERT BOBB , EMERGENCY FINANCIAL MANAGER , DETROIT PUBLIC SCHOOLS : We believe that this plan provides certainty where , in the minds of some , there may be uncertainty . We want to build flexible , adaptable and sustainable learning environments . We want to support smaller learning environments . Want to develop multi-use facilities that support community use and community partnerships . U.S. Relations AZUZ : Last weekend , the Israeli ambassador to the U.S. reportedly said the relationship between the two countries was the worst it 's been in 35 years . We told you about that . Now , though , he says he never said that . There has been some tension between the countries recently , but the Israeli ambassador says `` recent events do not represent the lowest point in the relations between Israel and the United States . '' He added that the nations disagree on some issues , but says he 's confident the differences will soon be overcome . Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had some harsh words for Israel recently . But on Tuesday , she called the bond between the countries `` unshakable , '' although she added that the U.S. is still waiting for Israel 's response on proving that the Middle Eastern country is serious about a Middle East peace plan . Most Visited AZUZ : If you run a Google search , you 'll find out that Facebook just passed Google as the most popular site on the Internet last week . From March 7th to the 13th , Facebook accounted for seven percent of all U.S. Web traffic . In the past , Facebook has been the number one site on individual days ; this is the first time it 's won an entire week . This only covers Facebook.com and Google.com , so it does n't include other Google sites like Gmail . Google had been on top every week since September 2007 . It took over the number one spot from another social networking site , MySpace . Facebook Promo AZUZ : We get a ton of traffic at our Facebook page : That 's Facebook.com / CNNStudentNews . I had a few minutes last night at work to log on and answer some of your questions . A student named Zach had a great one ; he asked how we select responses from our blog . The answer : It 's on the wall at Facebook.com / CNNStudentNews . You never know when I might show up ! Shoutout TOMEKA JONES , CNN STUDENT NEWS : Time for the Shoutout ! Rhodes scholars are invited to study at what university ? If you think you know it , shout it out ! Is it : A -RRB- Cambridge , B -RRB- Harvard , C -RRB- Stanford or D -RRB- Oxford ? You 've got three seconds -- GO ! An invitation to study at Oxford University in England accompanies a Rhodes Scholarship . That 's your answer and that 's your Shoutout ! Scholar 's Comeback AZUZ : One of last year 's Rhodes Scholars , Myron Rolle , is spending his time at Oxford studying medical anthropology . Eventually , he wants to go to medical school and become a neurosurgeon . It 's not his only dream job . Right now , he 's trying to tackle the football field . Soledad O'Brien has more on the Rolle reversal . -LRB- BEGIN VIDEO -RRB- SOLEDAD O'BRIEN , CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT : Myron Rolle was on a fast track to having it all . MYRON ROLLE , NFL PROSPECT : How you doing ? O'BRIEN : A gifted athlete , he was all but assured enormous fame and even bigger money . Then , something happened . You quit , basically . ROLLE : I did . I did . I do n't like saying that word . O'BRIEN : From the moment he first touched a football , Myron Rolle was a star . ROLLE : I was pretty good at it . I was bigger than all the kids , so I had some success . O'BRIEN : In high school , ESPN ranked Myron the number one senior football player in the country . Eighty-three colleges made him an offer . Myron chose Florida State University , a prime launching pad for the pros . Myron played safety . His future : a shoo-in , first-round pick in the NFL draft last year , millions of dollars to follow . But that 's when he basically quit , when he put it all at risk . Why did you leave ? Why did you quit football ? ROLLE : I left football because the Rhodes Scholarship was too great to pass up . It was either now or never . O'BRIEN : He won a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship , a chance to earn a Masters Degree in medical anthropology at Oxford University in England . Myron moved to England and watched the NFL draft from the sidelines . ROLLE : It hurt . It really did . It pained me . Like inside , deep . I said , I can be out there right now making millions of dollars . That could be my name being called . But when I went to Oxford , I said , this is the right choice . O'BRIEN : He 's not done with his studies . He has more to do at Oxford . But now , nearly a year later , with that certainty of his , Myron Rolle came back . After a few years in the pros , he wants to go to med school to become a neurosurgeon . He 's got to get back to England to finish his degree . ROLLE : This is the mud from England right here . O'BRIEN : Make no mistake , here , no one cares about Oxford . This is business , high stakes football . Is this guy as good as he was a year ago ? And now , game on . Myron played well in the Senior Bowl . The NFL draft is weeks away . It 's pressure . ROLLE : Sometimes it 's overwhelming . Sometimes you have to take a step back . O'BRIEN : So many people counting on him . ROLLE : You know what RS stands for ? UNIDENTIFIED MALE : What 's that ? ROLLE : Rhodes Scholar . O'BRIEN : For In America , Soledad O'Brien , CNN , Orlando . -LRB- END VIDEO -RRB- Downloadable Maps AZUZ : Oxford , Israel , Detroit . Today 's show 's all over the map . If you head to CNNStudentNews.com , scroll down and look on the left-hand side , you can use our downloadable maps to find out exactly where we went . They 're totally free ! You can find them every day at your favorite Web site . Before We Go AZUZ : Before we go , maybe you 've seen a horse fly . But you 've never seen one this big . Colorado -- the horse , not the state -- was air-lifted to safety on Tuesday after being swept away by a river late last week and stranded on a sand bar . It took rescuers four days to reach Colorado and get him hooked up to this harness . The one-mile flight to dry land only lasted a few minutes . Goodbye AZUZ : But during that time , that horse was the mane event . Time for us to giddy up and go , but not furlong . CNN Student News returns tomorrow .", "question": "Where is the Rhodes Scholar going ?", "answer": "Oxford University in England"}, {"story_text": "LONDON , -LRB- England -RRB- CNN -- Natalia Vodianova is best known as the supermodel who has graced the cover of Vogue , walked the catwalk for the likes of Chanel and Versace . Supermodel Natalia Vodianova 's charity plans to build hundreds of play parks for children in her native Russia . But Vodianova has a dream that could n't be further from the glitzy world of fashion -- to build 500 play parks in her native Russia . Vodianova , born and raised in Russia , was in the country during the 2004 Beslan school siege , in which at least 339 hostages , around half of them children , were killed . Deeply affected by the tragedy she returned to New York , where she was living at the time , determined to do something to help the surviving children . Vodianova organized a fundraising event that generated $ 350,000 to build the children a playground and she founded her charity , the '' Naked Heart Foundation . '' With an ethos that play is not only therapeutic for children , but a necessity , the foundation aims to provide playgrounds for Russia 's urban youth . So far the charity has built 23 playgrounds around the country , starting in her home town of Nizhnii Novgorod , and there are 15 more in the pipeline . `` For me , since I started my charity , it has been a very different way of life , '' Vodianova told CNN . Watch Vodianova take CNN around Moscow '' `` Giving back just feels so great . I always try to open each play park with myself present for the children , because it makes it more special for them . I go to very remote parts of Russia are far from Moscow and it gives these children an extra message of love . '' For Vodianova , this is just the start . She told CNN that her dream is to build 500 play parks in Russia . The charity 's play parks can cost anywhere between $ 27,000 and $ 400,000 , depending on their size and range of play equipment . Vodianova admits , `` It 's a big dream -- an expensive one ! '' When it comes to fundraising , Vodianova 's secret weapon is her connections in the fashion world . Last year she organized a `` Love Ball '' in Moscow -- a Valentine 's Day fundraiser that counted among the guests the likes of designer Valentino , actress Lucy Liu , singer Natalie Imbruglia , and supermodel Eva Herzigova . See photos of `` The Love Ball . '' '' The event was held in a former royal residence , Moscow 's 16th century Tsaritsino Estate . It featured an ice palace made from 220 tons of ice and music provided by British band Razorlight , among others . The highlight was a Valentine 's - themed auction , with lots including a private performance from rock star Bryan Adams , bought for $ 120,000 , and a painting by British artist Damien Hirst called `` Love is All Around , '' which sold for $ 1.6 million . The auction alone raised $ 6.7 million for the charity . Vodianova admits that the global economic crisis is making it harder to get sponsorship for this year 's event and says it will be more low-key than last year . `` We are not going to make it a very extravagant event ; it 's very disrespectful of what 's going on in the world right now , with the recession and a lot of people losing their jobs . `` We 're not gong to spend a lot of money on it , but it 's important to keep going , '' she told CNN . With a husband and three young children , Vodianova says it can be hard to divide her time between family , career and her charity . She describes her charity work as a 24-hour job . `` I feel a huge sense of responsibility for my foundation because it 's really very important to me . Somehow it became my most difficult baby to raise , '' she says . But she has no doubt about the value of her work , both for Russia 's children and herself . `` The biggest thing I can do for my soul is to hear that laughter and to see all these children that come and play on the play parks that my foundation built . '' CNN Producer Deborah Rivers contributed to this report", "question": "What does Vodianova run ?", "answer": "Naked Heart Foundation"}, {"story_text": "London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- British citizens who travel to Israel should be aware that their passport details could be captured for `` improper uses , '' Britain 's Foreign Office warned Tuesday . It follows Britain 's expulsion of an Israeli diplomat and its accusation that the Israeli government was responsible for forging British passports used in an international murder plot . Foreign Secretary David Miliband said Tuesday that there are `` compelling reasons '' to believe Israel was behind it . Twelve suspects in the January murder of Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Mabhouh , who was found dead in his Dubai hotel room , used British passports , the Dubai police have said . Miliband said the passports had been copied from `` genuine British passports '' in a `` highly sophisticated operation , '' indicating that a state intelligence service was responsible . The Foreign Office changed its official travel advice Tuesday for British citizens going to Israel , to warn them about the risk of their passport details being compromised . A British investigation `` found circumstantial evidence of Israeli involvement in the fraudulent use of British passports , '' the advice says . `` This has raised the possibility that your passport details could be captured for improper uses while your passport is out of your control . The risk applies in particular to passports without biometric security features . `` We recommend that you only hand your passport over to third parties , including Israeli officials , when absolutely necessary . '' Britain 's Serious Organised Crime Agency concluded that the 12 British people whose passports were cloned were `` wholly innocent victims of identity theft , '' the foreign secretary said . Israel has a stated policy on security matters of neither confirming nor denying involvement . Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said the British government would be giving its report on the passports to the Australian Federal Police , who are investigating how some of their country 's passports came to be used by the Dubai suspects . In an interview Tuesday with the Australian Broadcasting Company , Smith said Australia was not taking any action yet . `` We have an investigation underfoot , and we will await the results of that investigation by the Australian Federal Police , '' Smith said . He added : `` We 're treating this matter very seriously . Israel understands that , and when I receive the report -LRB- from the federal police -RRB- , we 'll make judgments which will be in Australia 's national interest . '' Dubai police had previously said three Australian passports were used in the murder plot , but Smith said there were four . He said there is nothing to indicate that the holders of the passports were anything but `` innocent victims '' in the crime . Al-Mabhouh , a founding member of Hamas ' military wing , was found dead January 20 in his Dubai hotel room . Police believe he was killed the night before , allegedly by the secretive Israeli foreign intelligence unit Mossad . A source close to the investigation said Wednesday that the total number of suspects had increased to 28 , from 27 , after Australia confirmed the use of a fourth passport . Six suspects used Irish passports , four used French documents , one had German papers and four had Australian papers . There is also one Palestinian suspect , police have said . Interpol expands search for suspects Lt. Gen. Dahi Khalfan Tamim , Dubai police chief , has said not all the suspects had fraudulent passports . `` We know some of the names are real , '' he said . Interpol , the international police agency , has issued `` red notices '' to help search for the suspects . The notices are not international arrest warrants , but are a way of alerting police forces around the world that the suspects are wanted by United Arab Emirates authorities .", "question": "What have UK warned about passports ?", "answer": "details could be captured for `` improper uses"}, {"story_text": "HARARE , Zimbabwe -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Deaths in Zimbabwe related to the cholera epidemic are approaching 2,000 , the World Health Organization said Tuesday , and close to 40,000 people have been affected by the preventable water-borne disease . Two men rest in a cholera rehydration tent on the South Africa-Zimbabwe border in December . Statistics released by the Geneva , Switzerland-based organization WHO on Tuesday show 1,937 people have died in the raging epidemic from the 38,334 who contracted the disease since its outbreak in August . Cholera has spread to neighboring countries South Africa and Botswana . The epidemic comes at a time when President Robert Mugabe 's government is facing its worst economic crisis , manifested in shortages of all essentials from food , fuel , cash , foreign currency and electricity and a hyperinflationary economy . Health experts have said Harare 's failure to import adequate stocks of water-treating chemicals is the main driver of the disease . Most residents have resorted to rivers and shallow wells for drinking water , because taps are usually dry . On top of that problem , the waste-disposing system has collapsed . Children can be seen playing on heaps of uncollected garbage in the suburbs of most urban areas in Zimbabwe . Last month , Mugabe 's government declared the cholera epidemic a national emergency . Since then , international governments and organizations such as WHO , Doctors Without Borders , Oxfam , USAID and other U.N. groups have moved in to combat the disease that has engulfed all of Zimbabwe 's provinces . But the situation has not immediately improved . Zimbabwean Health Minister David Parirenyatwa warned this month that the epidemic could get worse as the rainy season develops . Harare issued a warning Monday that some parts of the country are going to experience floods during rainy season , further compounding the fight against the disease . The season peaks in January or February and ends in late March . Mugabe and rival Morgan Tsvangirai signed a power-sharing deal in September to run the government after a hotly contested presidential election . It was widely hoped that the deal would be the panacea to the humanitarian and economic problems bewildering the once-prosperous Zimbabwe , but the pact is yet to take effect . The sides continue to debate the sharing of key Cabinet ministries such as information , local government , finance , defense and home affairs .", "question": "is Cholera related to South Africa ?", "answer": "Deaths in Zimbabwe related to the cholera epidemic"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Lionel Messi ended his international goal drought to help Argentina make the perfect start to the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign under new coach Alejandro Sabella on Friday . Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain scored a hat-trick in the 4-1 victory over Chile but of similar importance was Messi 's first strike in 16 games for La Albiceleste . Handed the captain 's armband by Sabella , Messi made it 2-0 in the 26th minute after combining with Higuain to end a run going back two years and seven months . Messi replied in kind to set up Higuain 's hat-trick in the 63rd minute , while Angel Di Maria laid on his clubmate 's other two goals . Chile , missing injured key players Alexis Sanchez and Gary Medel , had pulled it back to 3-1 through Matias Fernandez on the hour . `` It was important to get off on the right foot and we did just that , '' Higuain said in quotes reported by AFP , having also scored a treble in his last match for Real . `` I liked a lot of what we did tonight . Now we have to keep this up . '' Sabella took over from Sergio Batista after Argentina lost in the Copa America quarterfinals on home soil in July , and his next task is a trip to Venezuela on Tuesday . Venezuela 's campaign began with a 2-0 defeat at Ecuador on Friday , with the Copa semifinalists ' most-capped player Jose Manuel Rey sent off with 12 minutes to play for a second yellow card . Strikers Jaime Ayovi and Christian Benitez gave Ecuador a commanding lead inside the opening 30 minutes . Copa champions Uruguay made a perfect start with a 4-2 victory at home to Bolivia . Strikers Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani helped make it 3-1 at halftime , while defender captain Diego Lugano netted his second goal with 18 minutes to play before Marcelo Martins ' late consolation penalty . Copa runners-up Paraguay crashed to a 2-0 defeat away to Peru , who built on their third-place finish as striker Jose Paolo Guerrero netted both goals in the second half . Paraguay host Uruguay on Tuesday , while Peru visit Chile and Bolivia are at home to Colombia . Brazil , assured of a place as hosts of the 2014 tournament , beat Costa Rica in a friendly on Friday . Striker Neymar netted a 60th-minute winner before the home team had Heiner Mora sent off late in San Jose .", "question": "who is ginzalo higuain", "answer": "Real Madrid striker"}, {"story_text": "LAS MANOS , Nicaragua -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Ousted Honduran President Jose Manuel Zelaya returned to Nicaragua late Friday night after briefly entering his home country from which he was removed in a military coup nearly a month ago . Supporters cheer as deposed leader Jose Manuel Zelaya crosses into Honduras on Friday . Zelaya crossed a few yards into Honduras on Friday afternoon and then hunkered down while he carried on extensive telephone conversations and press interviews . The Honduran government said it would arrest Zelaya if he pushed further into the nation and would ask the International Red Cross to monitor his treatment . Provisional President Roberto Micheletti , who was sworn in hours after Zelaya was removed from office on June 28 , said Friday night his country was willing to continue negotiations . Two previous rounds hosted by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias were deadlocked over the Honduran government 's refusal to allow Zelaya to return to power . Watch Zelaya cross the border '' `` I offered several days ago to give up my position if Mr. Zelaya would stop inciting his followers to violence , '' Micheletti told CNN en Espa\u00f1ol . Micheletti said Zelaya had no intention of returning to Honduras , where he faced certain arrest by the national police . Zelaya went back to Nicaragua , Micheletti said , to keep causing problems . `` We have received information that they want to continue with these type of actions that only incite the public , '' he said . Asked in an interview with CNN en Espa\u00f1ol late Friday night why he did not go farther into Honduras , as he had vowed to do , Zelaya said he did not want to cause any violence . `` You have a correspondent here who can tell you how aggressive the military has been acting , '' Zelaya said . The latest events unfolded live and in front of a multitude of TV cameras as Zelaya led a 20-vehicle convoy over two days from the Nicaraguan capital of Managua to the Honduran border . Along the way , he held news conferences and conducted numerous telephone interviews . The highlight occurred Friday afternoon when Zelaya walked under a border chain and returned to his home soil . '' I am not afraid when I work for a just and noble cause , '' Zelaya said to someone on a cell phone moments after crossing the border , surrounded by scores of reporters and cheering supporters . Honduran soldiers pulled back about 25 meters -LRB- 80 feet -RRB- from the border as Zelaya stopped and continued talking on the phone . He stopped in front of a large white sign that says , `` Bienvenidos a Honduras '' -LRB- Welcome to Honduras -RRB- . Zelaya remained in the area for several hours , saying he was waiting for his wife to join him . She stayed in Honduras when the military flew Zelaya out of the country during the coup . His wife , Xiomara Castro de Zelaya , told CNN en Espa\u00f1ol that she was being kept from joining her husband . Asked what she was feeling , she said , `` Anguish . Anguish is what we feel at this moment because he is a man of peace . '' Moments before crossing the border , Zelaya talked briefly face to face with army Lt. Col. Luis Roicarte , with whom he had been previously talking on the phone , said CNN 's Karl Penhaul . The army officer cut off the conversation with Zelaya because he had to take a call , likely from one of his superiors . Zelaya later recounted the conversation . `` The colonel told me , ` You ca n't cross the border . ' I said , ' I can cross . ' I crossed , shook his hand and asked for communications with his higher-ups , '' Zelaya said . In Washington , the State Department issued a travel alert for Honduras and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton criticized Zelaya 's actions . `` We have consistently urged all parties to avoid any provocative action that could lead to violence , '' Clinton said . `` President Zelaya 's effort to reach the border is reckless . It does not contribute to the broader efforts to restore democratic and constitutional order in the Honduras crisis . '' The State Department warning `` alerts American citizens to the current unstable political and security situation in Honduras , and recommends that American citizens defer all non-essential travel to Honduras until further notice . '' While the drama unfolded at the border , Micheletti supporters held a large and colorful rally in San Pedro Sula . Zelaya supporters amassed in the Honduran city of El Paraiso , about 12 kilometers -LRB- 7 miles -RRB- from the border with Nicaragua . They were met there by about 1,500 police and soldiers , some of whom fired on the crowd , a correspondent for CNN en Espa\u00f1ol reported from the scene . Two people were wounded , journalist Jorge Jimenez said . The police and soldiers fired tear gas at the demonstrators for about 15 to 20 minutes before letting off a barrage of 15 to 20 shots , Jimenez said . The apparent shootings happened minutes after Zelaya held a news conference on the Nicaraguan side of the border and asked police and soldiers to let him back into his country . Watch a report on Zelaya 's return '' `` Allow me to return to my country , '' Zelaya said , directly addressing his nation 's police and army . `` To embrace my fellow countrymen , my children , my wife , my mother . '' Honduran police and soldiers set up numerous roadblocks between Tegucigalpa , the capital of Honduras , and the border , and established an immediate curfew in the area until 4:30 a.m. . The shootings came after the National Police director , Salomon Escoto Salinas , said in a televised news conference that cars and people were being searched for weapons . `` Our job is to maintain order of the people who are protesting , '' Escoto Salinas said . `` If there is any vandalism , the police will act and we will apply the laws . '' He declined to say in an interview with CNN en Espa\u00f1ol whether Zelaya would be arrested if he crossed into Honduras . The National Police have a plan , he said , and it will be carried out . The Honduran political crisis stems from Zelaya 's desire to hold a referendum that could have led to extending term limits by changing the constitution , even though the congress had outlawed the vote and the supreme court ruled it illegal . The takeover has drawn international condemnation , including demands by the United Nations General Assembly , the OAS and the European Union that Zelaya be reinstated . Micheletti has steadfastly rejected characterization of the takeover as a coup , saying Zelaya 's removal was a constitutional transfer of power . He repeated that contention Friday night . `` There has been no coup because in a coup the military remains in power , '' he told CNN en Espa\u00f1ol .", "question": "Zelaya says what ?", "answer": "I am not afraid when I work for a just and noble cause"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Investigators released photographs Wednesday showing a man wanted in the case of a slain woman and her missing 7-year-old daughter . The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation released images taken by a security camera of 37-year-old Tonya Hobbs and her estranged husband , Lester Williams Hobbs , as they shopped for food just hours before Tonya Hobbs was killed . Police have charged Lester Hobbs with murder in his estranged wife 's death . They also have charged him with kidnapping Tonya Hobbs ' daughter , Aja Daniell Johnson , the bureau said Wednesday . `` These new pictures show the suspect car that is now missing as well as what the suspect , Lester Hobbs , looks like and the clothes he may be wearing now , '' a bureau spokeswoman , Jessica Brown , said in a statement . Investigators have asked anyone with information about Hobbs or Aja to call a new hotline number at 1-800-THE-LOST . The images released Wednesday were taken about 5:15 p.m. Saturday at a store in Lawton , Oklahoma . Shortly after that , the couple and Aja apparently went to the home of Lester Hobbs ' sister to eat , police said . Hobbs was found dead in a parked RV the next day in Geronimo , Oklahoma . Her daughter has been missing since then . `` We 've got to find that little girl , '' Special Agent Ray Homer of the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said this week . The girl has a medical condition that requires medication , police have said , though they declined to elaborate . Lester Hobbs , 46 , and Aja are presumed to be in Hobbs ' car -- a white 1992 Toyota Paseo with an Oklahoma tag number 577-BPW , police said . Police have searched for them in Oklahoma and Texas . Lester and Tonya Hobbs were separated , but apparently Tonya Hobbs was visiting her estranged husband in an attempt to reconcile , Richard Goss , agent in charge of the state bureau of investigation 's Lawton , Oklahoma , office , told reporters this week . Lester Hobbs is not Aja 's biological father , police said . He has an extensive criminal history , Goss said , without elaborating . Aja 's biological father was awarded emergency custody of her in November , according to Oklahoma County District Court documents obtained by CNN affiliate KWTV of Oklahoma City . At a hearing , Tonya Hobbs -- identified as Tonya Dunkin in the documents -- and the girl 's father , John Johnson , agreed that she would have supervised visitation with Aja and keep the girl away from Lester Hobbs , the documents said .", "question": "Where was Tonya Hobbs found dead at ?", "answer": "in Geronimo , Oklahoma"}, {"story_text": "London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Canadian graduate student has found the only known printed copy of Haiti 's Declaration of Independence , tucked away in Britain 's National Archives , researchers said . Duke University student Julia Gaffield found the eight-page pamphlet , dated January 1 , 1804 , while researching Haiti 's early independence , Duke said in a statement Thursday . The discovery sheds light on the early history of Haiti and the relations it had with its Caribbean neighbors at the time , Gaffield and Duke Professor Deborah Jenson said . Gaffield is researching early 19th-century Haiti for her doctoral dissertation in history , Duke said . She did research in France , Haiti and Jamaica , where she saw a handwritten copy of the declaration in the papers of Jamaica 's governor at the time , George Nugent . It indicated there was a printed version somewhere , but it was n't enclosed . In late January , Gaffield went to London for research at the National Archives , where she found the printed declaration . `` I was n't specifically looking for it , but I had an eye out for it because I knew it was missing , '' Gaffield said . `` We figured there was an original somewhere , but did n't know if it still existed . '' The declaration had not been misplaced and had been in the archives for a long time , Gaffield said . The period had simply not been studied in detail , and Gaffield said she figures people who saw the document before probably did n't realize what they had . Gaffield said she was thrilled by the discovery , but had to wait until the end of the day to notify her advisers at Duke , in North Carolina . `` The archives are not the place to make a big scene , '' she said . Haiti 's declaration is only the second of its kind in the world , the first being the U.S. Declaration of Independence , written by Thomas Jefferson and others , Duke said . The pamphlet , written in French , has three distinct parts , the National Archives said . The first two pages are titled `` Liberte ou La Mort , '' which translates to `` Freedom or Death , '' in which the generals of the Haitian army sign their names to an oath swearing to renounce forever the French yoke or die rather than live under its domination . Next , Jean-Jacques Dessalines , the general-in-chief , addresses the citizens of Haiti in an impassioned defense of independence and the destiny of the nation . On the final page , Haitian army generals proclaim Dessalines governor-general for life and swear to obey without question laws issued under his authority . `` To bring this document to light in Haiti 's darkest hour may be seen as a symbol of renewal and rejuvenation , helping Haiti rebuild its national spirit following the recent earthquake , '' said Ian Wilson , president of the International Council on Archives . `` Julia 's achievement in recognizing the significance of this printed document deserves high recognition . '' Oliver Morley , the acting chief executive of the National Archives , said they were pleased to play a role in the discovery . `` It 's incredible that the long search for this important document should finally end at the National Archives , '' Morley said . `` This declaration sent to the British government by Haiti 's first independent leader is of great historical importance to both Haiti and the British people , and provides unique insight into the first successful slave rebellion of modern times . '' Jenson , a professor of French studies at Duke who has researched the U.S. publication of Haiti 's independence documents , said the discovery also shows Haiti had a fully functional printing apparatus at every moment of the new nation 's independence . Researchers had looked for the printed declaration before , without success , said Laurent Dubois , a Duke professor of French studies and history and one of Gaffield 's advisers . In 1952 , Haiti asked intellectual Edmond Mangones to find an original or printed copy so it could be displayed for the nation 's 150th anniversary , Dubois said . Mangones searched in many archives in Haiti and elsewhere before writing with exasperation that all his searching had been `` in vain , '' Dubois said . `` It is really beyond belief , '' Mangones said at the time , `` that not even a copy of the original printed version has been found in France , or in England , or in the United States . '' Gaffield 's discovery , Dubois said , `` has finally changed that . '' Documents from Haiti 's early history have not been well preserved and are scattered in various places , said Dubois , who is working with other historians to rehabilitate Haiti 's archives after the January 12 earthquake . Dubois and Gaffield consulted Patrick Tardieu , a noted Haitian archivist at Brown University , to confirm the document 's authenticity . `` I was so happy to find out it was true , '' Tardieu said . `` It is an important document , and its discovery is important news for Haiti 's scholarly community and more broadly for the people of Haiti . '' Gaffield said she hopes the discovery will remind historians , Haitians and the world about the early history of the only country in the Western Hemisphere where slaves successfully revolted to gain national independence . `` The Haitian Revolution was of immense consequence to Jamaica and other colonies in the Caribbean , as well as to the United States , '' Gaffield said . `` This find is further evidence that there was contact and negotiations going on between them . Haiti was not isolated after independence and it played a complicated role in a world based on colonialism and slavery . ''", "question": "Where did Gaffield find the document ?", "answer": "Britain 's National Archives"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Ten days later and despite an $ 11,000 reward , police have not found a missing 5-year old Arizona girl . Jahessye Shockley wandered out of her Glendale , Arizona home on October 11 , unnoticed by her older siblings who were supposed to be watching her . Her mother called police after returning home from an errand . In the first three days after the girl went missing , Glendale police wrapped up a grid search of her neighborhood and moved into the second phase of their investigation where they are following up on tips they receive from the public . Family members have begged for information on Jahessye 's whereabouts . `` Please bring my baby back ... Her safe return is all I want , '' Jahessye 's mother , Jerice Hunter , said last week . `` She belongs to this family ... She 's somebody 's child . Mine . Please bring my child home . '' Shirley Johnson , the girl 's grandmother , said she is wondering why the national media has n't spread the word on the case . `` I want the national media to pick it up ... I wo n't stop til they do . I do n't know why it 's not national now , '' Shirley Johnson , Jahessye 's worried grandmother , told CNN affiliate KPHO Thursday . `` They have the ability to make sure someone from across the nation knows what 's going on . '' Jahessye 's case has been mentioned in the Washington Post and the Huffington Post in recent days . But it has not received much national television coverage compared to cases like Baby Lisa , the 11-month-old missing Missouri girl . That case has received daily national news coverage and has been featured on the cover of People magazine . Retired police officer and child advocate Paul Penzone told KPHO that he noticed the lack of national media coverage . `` I do n't know what 's missing or why , but in our community this is a big deal , '' said Penzone . `` Continued coverage absolutely is critical . The eyes of the community are going to be biggest tool for law enforcement if this little girl is somewhere where she can be seen and recovered . '' On the day she disappeared Jahessye was left home with her 13 - , 9 - and 6-year-old siblings , police said . The children have been interviewed separately by experts and have maintained that they do not know what happened to her , Glendale police Sgt. Brent Coombs has said . Ann $ 11,000 reward has been offered in the case . Jahessye is described as a black female about 3 feet 5-inches tall , 55 pounds with black hair in a ponytail and brown eyes . She was last seen wearing a white t-shirt , blue jean shorts and pink sandals . Anyone with information about Jahessye 's disappearance is asked to call the Glendale Police Department at 623-930-HELP -LRB- 4357 -RRB- .", "question": "when was Jahessye Shockley last seen", "answer": "October 11"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A 12-year-old west Florida boy apparently struck by a bullet fired skyward during a New Year 's Eve celebration is improving , but remains in serious condition , authorities said Tuesday . Overnight , his condition was upgraded from critical to serious , said Larry McKinnon of the Hillsborough County Sheriff 's Office . The bullet is still lodged in the boy 's head , and doctors are working to control the swelling around his brain . Until the bullet is removed , detectives can not compare it to other bullets to help determine a possible suspect in the shooting , said McKinnon . Diego Duran , 12 , was sitting in the front yard of his Ruskin , Florida , home watching fireworks about 1 a.m. Sunday when he fell to the ground , bleeding from the nose and eyes , McKinnon said . The victim 's mother drove him to South Bay Hospital in Sun City Center , where doctors determined that a gunshot had gone through the top of the boy 's head . The child was then transported to Tampa General Hospital , where he was in critical condition Sunday afternoon . The boy 's mother , Sandy Duran , spoke to reporters Monday about her son . `` His brain is still in that stage of the 48 to 72 hours where it swells . There 's a lot of inflammation going on , so the doctors can not say what he will and wo n't be able to do , '' she said . `` The good news is that he is moving his extremities . He can move his hands . He can move his legs . He has opened his eyes . '' Duran described her son as `` noble '' and said he enjoyed skating and playing guitar . He is the youngest of three children , and her family is taking it `` hour by hour , '' she said . `` For me , it 's a miracle that he 's alive considering what has just happened to him , '' said Duran . No one in the immediate area around the victim 's house was firing a gun , the boy 's relatives and neighbors told detectives . Police believe that celebratory gunfire , possibly shot from miles away , wounded the boy . If the wound is determined to be from a celebratory gunshot , it would not be the first time a child was inadvertently shot in the Southeast on New Year 's Eve and in the hours after midnight . In 2009 , 4-year-old Marquel Peters died after a bullet went through the roof of a suburban Atlanta church and hit him . The boy 's mother , Nathalee Peters , has launched an online effort -- called Marquel 's Pledge -- to urge people not to shoot into the air in celebration . It 's one of several such campaigns nationwide , including one in Miami called , `` One bullet kills the party . '' Duran similarly spoke about the need to educate the public about the dangers of celebratory gunfire . `` I 'm speaking out because I do n't think there 's enough awareness out there , '' she said . `` A firearm is a weapon . It 's a weapon that takes a life . It 's not a toy for celebration . '' CNN 's George Howell contributed to this report .", "question": "Where is the bullet ?", "answer": "lodged in the boy 's head"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A slaughterhouse that has been accused of mistreating cows agreed Sunday to recall 143 million pounds of beef in what federal officials called the largest beef recall in U.S. history . Officials said this is the largest recall in the United States , surpassing a 1999 recall of 35 million pounds . Keith Williams , a U.S. Department of Agriculture spokesman , said investigators have found no cases of illness related to the recalled meat . But Dick Raymond , the undersecretary of agriculture for food safety , said there was a `` remote probability '' that the meat from the Westland/Hallmark Meat Packing Company in Chino , California , could cause illness in humans . The amount of beef -- 143 million pounds -- is roughly enough for two hamburgers for each man , woman and child in the United States . The largest U.S. meat recall before Sunday came in 1999 , when about 35 million pounds of product possibly contaminated with listeria were ordered off shelves . USDA officials said that was Class I recall , involving a known risk to human health . Sunday 's action was a Class II recall , under which authorities say there is little risk of illness . Raymond said cattle that had lost the ability to walk since passing pre-processing inspections were slaughtered without an inspector having examined them for chronic illness -- a practice he said violated federal regulations and had been going on for at least two years . Watch video of cows being abused '' Federal regulations are aimed at preventing the spread of bovine spongiform encephalopathy , or BSE -- the scientific name for `` mad cow '' disease . It 's important to keep downed cattle out of the food supply because they also may pose a higher risk of contamination from E. coli or salmonella because the animals tend to wallow in feces and have weaker immune systems , according to AP . Raymond said the average age of the cattle involved is 5-7 years , meaning they were likely born long after a 1997 ban on ruminant feed , and that the incidence of BSE in U.S. cattle is `` extremely rare . '' `` We do not know how much of this product is out there at this time . We do not feel this product presents a health risk of any significance , '' he said . `` But the product was produced in non-compliance with our regulations , so therefore we do have to take this action . '' About 37 million pounds of the meat went to school lunch programs and other federal nutrition programs since October 2006 , said Ron Vogel , of the USDA 's Food and Nutrition Service . The recall dates back to February 1 , 2006 , and Raymond said `` the great majority '' of the meat has probably been eaten already . USDA officials have begun tracing the products covered by the recall , he said . `` A lot of this is fresh , raw product and with ground beef , etcetera , that has a very short shelf life and refrigerator life , '' he said . Most of the beef was sent to distribution centers in bulk packages . The USDA said it will work with distributors to determine how much meat remains , the AP reports . In January , the Humane Society of the United States accused Westland/Hallmark of abusing `` downed '' cattle , releasing video that showed workers kicking cows , jabbing them near their eyes , ramming them with a forklift and shooting high-intensity water up their noses in an effort to force them to their feet for slaughter . Federal inspectors halted operations at the plant earlier this month after finding `` clear violations '' of USDA regulations . California prosecutors on Friday announced animal cruelty charges against two former employees of the plant . In a statement issued February 3 , Westland Meat President Steve Mendell said the company was cooperating with the USDA and called the practices depicted in the humane society video as `` a serious breach of our company 's policies and training . '' `` We have taken swift action regarding the two employees identified on the video and have already implemented aggressive measures to ensure all employees follow our humane handling policies and procedures , '' Mendell said . E-mail to a friend CNN 's Jen Pifer contributed to this report .", "question": "How much meat went to school cafeterias ?", "answer": "About 37 million pounds"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Scottish Rugby Union has appointed Andy Robinson , formerly coach of bitter rivals England , as the new national team boss . Andy Robinson will be seeking to revive the fortunes of Scotland 's struggling rugby side . The 45-year-old won eight caps as a flanker for England , and was assistant coach in Clive Woodward 's 2003 World Cup-winning set-up before taking over for an ill-fated reign himself in 2004 , winning just nine of 22 matches . Robinson returned to top-class coaching with Celtic League team Edinburgh in 2007 , and has sufficiently impressed Scottish officials in the 20 months since then to win favor as the replacement for Frank Hadden . He had been part of Hadden 's backroom staff , and had already been chosen to coach Scotland A this summer . Hadden resigned on April 2 after Scotland again struggled in the Six Nations , finishing second from bottom with just one win from five outings . Robinson was delighted to be given the chance to return to the international stage . `` With the World Cup in New Zealand in 2011 , I believe we have a crop of players who can really challenge the world 's best , and preparation for that starts now , '' he told the SRU Web site . `` I 'm looking forward to leading Scotland A into the IRB Nations Cup in Romania next week and thereafter preparing for our Autumn Tests at Murrayfield against Fiji , Australia and Argentina . '' Robinson is believed to have headed off the likes of South Africa 's World Cup-winning coach Jake White and former Australia boss Eddie Jones for the job . Former Scotland captain and British and Irish Lion Gordon Bulloch was part of the interview panel that determined the appointment . `` Andy was the outstanding candidate from a quite exceptional shortlist which underlines the allure of coaching the Scotland team , '' he told the SRU 's Web site . `` I know from having had the privilege of his coaching and guidance on Lions tours that he is passionate about his rugby , is a skilled communicator and has values and an ethos which are absolutely at one with developing a winning Scotland team . '' Scottish Rugby chief executive Gordon McKie said he was confident Robinson would prove to be successful . `` Andy has proved himself at every level of the game and we are thrilled that he will now be leading the Scotland team as we look towards the challenges of the next three years , including the 2011 World Cup , '' McKie said . `` He has been part of the Scottish Rugby family for the past two years and has brought success both to Edinburgh Rugby , with their highest ever Magners League finish in successive seasons , and has also guided the Scotland A team to notable successes . ''", "question": "Who is Scotlands new coach ?", "answer": "The Scottish Rugby Union has appointed Andy Robinson"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Oguchi Onyewu , who made his AC Milan debut in a 2-1 friendly defeat to Mexico 's Club America , is the first player from the United States to be signed by the Serie A giants and is a rising talent in world football . Oguchi Onyewu has cut a commanding figure at the center of defense for the U.S. national team . The `` Rossoneri '' have put their faith in a 27-year-old defender , who has become a lynchpin of his national team in recent times -- but how did the stopper climb the ladder of success ? The imposing Onweyu , who stands 1.93 meters tall and tips the scales at 95 kilograms , was born in Washington D.C. , one of a family of five to Nigerian-born parents . While at high school in Maryland , he showed immediate promise and was selected for a soccer academy run by International Management Group -LRB- IMG -RRB- . After graduation , Onyewu spent two years in collegiate soccer at Clemson University before taking his chance in Europe . CNN 's Patrick Snell interviews Onyewu . '' He was originally at Metz in France before being loaned out to La Louviere in the Belgium league and finally to Standard Liege where he has spent the majority of his professional career . Because of his strong performances with Standard , Onyewu was constantly linked with a number of leading European clubs , but finally had his chance when sent out on loan to Newcastle United in the English Premier League . Joining for the back end of the 2006-07 season , he formed an uncertain partnership with Titus Bramble in the center of defense , which , combined with the arrival of new manager Sam Allardyce , was to cost him his place . Newcastle decided not to make his loan move permanent and Onyewu returned to Standard to help them win successive Belgian league titles . He was involved in a controversial incident at the end of the current season during the championship playoff against Anderlecht . Onyewu claimed Anderlecht defender Jelle Van Damme called him a `` dirty ape '' and persisted despite being reported to the referee . The Times of London reported on June 2 that Onyewu had taken legal action in a Brussels court over the alleged slur , hoping it will help eradicate such incidents in the future . His lawyer Jean-Louis Dupont said Onyewu felt compelled to take it further . `` He was convinced it was his duty to lodge the complaint , '' Dupont said . `` It is not a question whether Van Damme is racist . The issue is that these slurs are still used on the pitch , and are being used because they know it hurts . '' Onyewu made his debut for the U.S. national team in 2004 and played all three games for the side before their exit from the 2006 World Cup . But it was his performances in the recent Confederations Cup in South Africa which showed his qualities to the full . After the U.S. beat Egypt 3-0 to reach the semifinals , Onyewu was outstanding again in the shock 2-0 defeat of world number one-rated Spain to reach the final . The U.S. went on to lose the final 3-2 to Brazil , but Onyewu had again sparked renewed interest , including Milan , who had tracked him since 2004 . He signed a three-year deal earlier this month with the seven-time European champions , who are in a rebuilding process after the retirement of club legend Paulo Maldini and departure of Kaka to Real Madrid . Onyewu is the second U.S. international to play in Serie A. Former national captain Alexi Lalas played for Padova in the 1990s .", "question": "Who was a star performer for the US team in 2009 Confederations Cup", "answer": "Oguchi Onyewu"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It 's early April , and President Obama is on his way to France with the nation 's top diplomat at his side . As he and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton converse in a private room aboard Air Force One , a photographer peers through the half-open door and snaps a candid picture of the formerly bitter campaign rivals . President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton share a conversation on board Air Force One . Photographing two of the most powerful people in the country up-close and personal may seem like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to most Americans . But for photographer Pete Souza , it 's a common occurrence . `` I try to photograph everything . Every meeting that the president does , '' Souza told CNN 's John King on `` State of the Union . '' On leave of absence from his normal post as an assistant professor of photojournalism at Ohio University 's School of Visual Communication , Souza is the chief official White House photographer for President Obama , meaning he has an all-access pass to the president 's most intimate and private moments . `` I look at my job as a visual historian , '' Souza said on Sunday . `` The most important thing is to create a good visual archive for history , so 50 or a hundred years from now , people can go back and look at all these pictures . '' Watch Souza talk to CNN 's John King about his work '' While he relishes his unobstructed seat to a historic administration , he knows his limits . `` I 'm smart enough to know that if he 's having a one-on-one meeting with a head of state , I let them have some privacy , '' he said . `` I let him initiate any conversation . I am not there to take up his time in conversation . '' Souza brings a unique perspective to the job , having also been the official White House photographer during Ronald Reagan 's presidency . He acknowledged that Reagan was probably more formal , but told CNN he sees similarities between the two . See some of Souza 's photos '' `` I think they 're both comfortable with themselves , which makes them great photographic subjects . The presence of the camera in behind-the-scene situations did n't seem to bother either president , which is good for me , '' he said . Souza released four never-before-seen photos on `` State of the Union , '' including one of the president and the first lady sharing a moment on the dance floor at the annual Governor 's Ball , the couple 's first big event at the White House . `` Earth , Wind and Fire was the band and I think the president was singing along to the music . I think their intention is to bring some fun to the White House , too , '' Souza said while reflecting on the picture . Previously a photographer for the Chicago Tribune , Souza began documenting Obama 's ascension to the presidency in 2004 after a former colleague asked him to shoot the young politician 's first year as a U.S. senator . Last year , Souza published `` The Rise of Barack Obama , '' an extensive book of photos chronicling Obama 's rise from junior senator of Illinois to the highest office in the country . When asked to choose one picture as his favorite , Souza selected one of the president and first lady softly butting heads in a freight elevator , surrounded by staffers who appear to be avoiding eye contact with the couple . Michelle Obama is smiling playfully wearing her husband 's jacket . `` I chose this one because it 's a genuine moment . It was chilly in the elevator . He took his coat off , put it around his wife 's shoulders and then there is this private moment going on between the two of them , '' he said . `` It 's just a complete storytelling picture . '' Though the historic nature of Obama 's presidency is not lost on Souza , he does n't view Obama any differently than past commanders in chief . `` Certainly you feel a sense of history , no question about that . When I look at him , I look at him as the president . I do n't look at him as the African-American president , I look at him as the president . ''", "question": "At which Chicago newspaper did Souza work ?", "answer": "Previously a photographer for the Chicago Tribune"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The NBA has canceled its preseason , and the first two weeks of the regular season are in jeopardy as team owners and players remain at odds over a new labor deal . `` By Monday , we will have no choice but to cancel the first two weeks of the season , '' NBA Commissioner David Stern said Tuesday . The cancellation of all 114 preseason games will mean a loss of about $ 200 million in revenue , he said . The NBA already had announced the cancellation of some preseason games . `` And we 're looking down the barrel of losing regular-season games . There 's an extraordinary hit coming to the owners and to the players , '' Stern said . The sometimes bitter labor struggle and lockout has stretched to three months . `` We can only say we are running out of time so many times , '' NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver has said . NBA Players Association President Derek Fisher has acknowledged the stakes . `` We are aware of the calendar , '' he said this week . `` We know our backs are against the wall in terms of regular season games and what those consequences will be . '' Last week , the NBA announced that it had postponed player training camps for the upcoming season and canceled some preseason games . Training camps were scheduled to open on October 3 . Representatives from both sides have been meeting in hopes of hammering out a collective bargaining deal , but no significant progress has been announced . The NBA began a lockout of its players in early July . Stern has said that last season was not profitable for most of the league 's 30 owners , who want cost-cutting help from players . The league lost as much as $ 300 million in the 2010-11 season , Stern has said . One of the battles has focused on the owners ' rejection of the players union 's call for an average $ 7 million player salary in the sixth year of a new labor deal . The current average salary is about $ 5 million . Other big issues include a fight over whether the NBA will strengthen its salary cap and a move by owners to get a bigger share of revenues . The last work stoppage occurred in 1998 .", "question": "How much loss would canceling the preseason bring ?", "answer": "about $ 200 million in revenue"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill student body president who was killed this year was shot several times , including in her head , according to her autopsy report released Monday . Unsealed warrants show Eve Carson was abducted and then shot by both men . Eve Carson , 22 , was found slain on March 5 . Carson 's autopsy report lists six gunshot wounds , but says two were probably from the same bullet , according to North Carolina 's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner . Carson 's death shocked the community and drew national attention . An estimated 10,000 people turned out for a service remembering her . Her autopsy -- released after a North Carolina newspaper filed a court motion to have it unsealed -- describes wounds to various parts of Carson 's body . It says shotgun wounds to her head and hand `` most likely represent a single shot with the hand acting as an intermediate target . '' One of the other four wounds was also a gunshot to her head . A separate , handwritten summary of the medical examiner 's report says Carson was `` shot multiple times '' and found lying on her back , with one arm bent behind her head . The autopsy says sexual assault testing was done . It does not say whether any sign of sexual assault was found . Two suspects , Demario James Atwater , 22 , and Lawrence Alvin Lovette , 17 , have been charged with first-degree murder . Lovette 's attorney said the warrants against the suspects rely on hearsay . Atwater 's attorney cautioned against `` any rush to judgment . '' Court documents released Friday say Carson was kidnapped from her apartment and forced to provide her abductors with ATM access to her bank account before she was shot to death in the early hours of March 5 . The documents -- applications for search warrants -- say a confidential informant told police in the days after the death that Atwater had told her he and Lovette had entered Carson 's home through an open door and forced Carson to accompany them in her car . The informant said she had talked with Atwater after a picture was displayed on television showing someone attempting to use Carson 's ATM card at a convenience store two days after Carson 's body was found . The informant said the two men drove Carson to an ATM , obtaining her PIN number from her . `` The CW -LSB- informant -RSB- learned that Carson was forced into the back seat with Atwater , and Lovette drove Carson 's vehicle , '' the court documents said . `` That information is consistent with video footage taken from an ATM camera on that date . '' The witness told police Atwater said the two got about $ 1,400 from Carson 's account . Bank records show that was approximately the amount taken from the account over a two-day period , the documents said . And the informant said that both suspects shot Carson , according to one of the affidavits . `` This information was corroborated by crime scene search information that two separate weapons were used in the homicide , '' the documents said . The documents said police believe Carson was subjected to a sexual assault `` of an unknown nature '' and asked for a search warrant to collect DNA swabs from the suspects . But Orange County , North Carolina , District Attorney Jim Woodall told CNN Friday the collection and testing done on Carson 's body was routine , and authorities do not believe she was sexually assaulted . Prosecutors had fought to keep her autopsy sealed . Following a motion by the Raleigh News & Observer newspaper , prosecutors agreed to allow the report 's release . Carson , a native of Athens , Georgia , was a pre-medicine student double-majoring in political science and biology . She was a recipient of the university 's prestigious Morehead Scholarship and a member of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society , UNC has said .", "question": "what There were shotgun wounds to Carson 's ?", "answer": "her head and hand"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It 's early April , and President Obama is on his way to France with the nation 's top diplomat at his side . As he and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton converse in a private room aboard Air Force One , a photographer peers through the half-open door and snaps a candid picture of the formerly bitter campaign rivals . President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton share a conversation on board Air Force One . Photographing two of the most powerful people in the country up-close and personal may seem like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to most Americans . But for photographer Pete Souza , it 's a common occurrence . `` I try to photograph everything . Every meeting that the president does , '' Souza told CNN 's John King on `` State of the Union . '' On leave of absence from his normal post as an assistant professor of photojournalism at Ohio University 's School of Visual Communication , Souza is the chief official White House photographer for President Obama , meaning he has an all-access pass to the president 's most intimate and private moments . `` I look at my job as a visual historian , '' Souza said on Sunday . `` The most important thing is to create a good visual archive for history , so 50 or a hundred years from now , people can go back and look at all these pictures . '' Watch Souza talk to CNN 's John King about his work '' While he relishes his unobstructed seat to a historic administration , he knows his limits . `` I 'm smart enough to know that if he 's having a one-on-one meeting with a head of state , I let them have some privacy , '' he said . `` I let him initiate any conversation . I am not there to take up his time in conversation . '' Souza brings a unique perspective to the job , having also been the official White House photographer during Ronald Reagan 's presidency . He acknowledged that Reagan was probably more formal , but told CNN he sees similarities between the two . See some of Souza 's photos '' `` I think they 're both comfortable with themselves , which makes them great photographic subjects . The presence of the camera in behind-the-scene situations did n't seem to bother either president , which is good for me , '' he said . Souza released four never-before-seen photos on `` State of the Union , '' including one of the president and the first lady sharing a moment on the dance floor at the annual Governor 's Ball , the couple 's first big event at the White House . `` Earth , Wind and Fire was the band and I think the president was singing along to the music . I think their intention is to bring some fun to the White House , too , '' Souza said while reflecting on the picture . Previously a photographer for the Chicago Tribune , Souza began documenting Obama 's ascension to the presidency in 2004 after a former colleague asked him to shoot the young politician 's first year as a U.S. senator . Last year , Souza published `` The Rise of Barack Obama , '' an extensive book of photos chronicling Obama 's rise from junior senator of Illinois to the highest office in the country . When asked to choose one picture as his favorite , Souza selected one of the president and first lady softly butting heads in a freight elevator , surrounded by staffers who appear to be avoiding eye contact with the couple . Michelle Obama is smiling playfully wearing her husband 's jacket . `` I chose this one because it 's a genuine moment . It was chilly in the elevator . He took his coat off , put it around his wife 's shoulders and then there is this private moment going on between the two of them , '' he said . `` It 's just a complete storytelling picture . '' Though the historic nature of Obama 's presidency is not lost on Souza , he does n't view Obama any differently than past commanders in chief . `` Certainly you feel a sense of history , no question about that . When I look at him , I look at him as the president . I do n't look at him as the African-American president , I look at him as the president . ''", "question": "What is Pete Souza 's job title ?", "answer": "chief official White House photographer"}, {"story_text": "LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The California Public Utilities Commission banned texting on the job Thursday after it was shown that a Metrolink train engineer involved in last week 's deadly collision near Los Angeles sent text messages from his cell phone . It was unclear what 46-year-old Robert Sanchez was doing at the time of the crash Friday . The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating claims that he was sending text messages when his commuter train slammed into a Union Pacific freight train in Chatsworth . Twenty-five people were killed , including Sanchez , and at least 130 were injured . Investigators subpoenaed the phone records of the engineer and determined that he `` had sent and received text messages on the day of the accident , including some while he was on duty , '' according to an NTSB statement Wednesday . Investigators were trying to determine at what time the messages were sent . The commission 's emergency order passed unanimously Thursday . In pushing for the ban , Commission President Michael Peevey said that cell phone use by engineers `` may have been a factor '' in train accidents this year in San Francisco and Sacramento , California . He did not elaborate on details of those incidents . Thursday 's order is temporary until the state commission decides whether to make it permanent . Metrolink prohibits cell phone use by engineers on the job , but Peevey emphasized that there is no federal or California regulation barring cell phone use by engineers while trains are moving . The NTSB had determined that the brakes on the Metrolink train were not applied before the collision and that stop signals at the scene were working properly , said Kitty Higgins , an NTSB member assigned to the investigation . Metrolink has said its train , carrying about 220 passengers , failed to stop for a red signal . Watch expert tell what it 's like to drive a train '' Twenty-four bodies were found at the scene after the head-on collision during rush hour Friday in the northwest Los Angeles suburb . A 25th victim , a man in his 50s , died at a hospital . More than 130 people were injured . The agency has said it also has been in contact with the two teenagers who told a local television station they were exchanging text messages with the engineer just before the crash occurred . Higgins said investigators have interviewed the Metrolink train conductor , who had worked with Sanchez since April . The conductor `` had no issues of his time working with the engineer and on how the engineer operated the train , '' she said . Watch as callers to 911 describe the crash '' The engineer took a two-hour nap during his midday break on the day of the collision , the conductor told investigators . Sanchez was a subcontractor who worked for another company .", "question": "What did authorities conclude about the brakes ?", "answer": "were not applied before the collision"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- Entertainment Weekly -RRB- -- It could n't top its predecessors , but `` X-Men Origins : Wolverine '' still brought in quite a haul , grossing an estimated $ 87 million for the opening weekend of the summer movie season . Hugh Jackman stars as the title character in `` X-Men Origins : Wolverine . '' The Hugh Jackman pic brought in a strong $ 21,225 per-theater average in 4,099 movie houses , despite generating mixed reviews . The film fell $ 15 million short of 2006 's `` X-Men : The Last Stand '' but it is still an enormous success for Jackman and director Gavin Hood . Matthew McConaughey 's `` Ghosts of Girlfriends Past '' generated an estimated $ 15.3 million for a second place bow . It 's not a shabby opening but it is far less than McConaughey 's previous romantic outings including last year 's `` Fool 's Gold '' -LRB- $ 21.6 million -RRB- or 2006 's `` Failure to Launch '' -LRB- $ 24.2 million -RRB- . -LRB- Perhaps women were too busy checking out all those hunky mutants this weekend ? -RRB- The two new openers did help the industry maintain its year-over-year increase of 16 percent . Also aiding that statistic was Beyonce Knowles ' `` Obsessed . '' Dropping a not-surprising 57 percent for its second weekend in theaters , the thriller earned another $ 12.2 million to put its ten-day gross at a shockingly strong $ 47 million . And Zac Efron 's `` 17 Again '' showed surprising stamina , too , grossing an additional $ 6.3 million its third weekend for a total take of $ 48.4 million . The other new wide release for the weekend was the anemic 3-D animated sci-fi film `` Battle for Terra . '' Opening on 1162 theaters , the Justin Long , Evan Rachel Wood-voiced feature proved to be little competition for the other 3-D movie in the marketplace . Dreamworks Animation 's juggernaut `` Monsters vs. Aliens '' grossed another $ 5.8 million its sixth weekend for the fifth slot in the rankings , while newcomer `` Terra '' could n't muster more than $ 1 million for a twelfth place in the box office derby . Summer has officially begun -- at least in Hollywood -- so expect a giant event film every weekend . Wolverine may have bowed mightily but with `` Star Trek '' hot on its heels next weekend , the Marvel superhero is going to need more than adamantium to maintain its box office lead . CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly", "question": "How much did `` Ghosts of Girlfriends Past '' gross ?", "answer": "an estimated $ 15.3 million"}, {"story_text": "ROME , Italy -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A U.N. report says hunger is on the rise globally and blames higher food prices . Populations within conflict zones such as the Democratic Republic of Congo are particularly vulnerable . The Food and Agriculture Organization has issued preliminary estimates classifying 963 million people as undernourished -- an increase of 40 million people over the past year . `` One out of seven people -- about 15 percent -- suffer chronically of not having enough to eat , '' said Mark Smulders , an FAO economist . The hunger report -- titled `` The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2008 '' -- said the world 's financial and economic problems could throw more people into poverty . The number of hungry had been increasing over the years before the rise in food prices , with warfare and political instability continuing to be among the factors causing poverty . The preliminary estimates lack a firm country breakdown , but last year 's figures are an accurate measure of where the problems are . About 907 out of 923 million undernourished people in 2007 , or 65 percent of the hungry , live in India , China , the war-wracked Democratic Republic of Congo , Bangladesh , Indonesia , Pakistan and Ethiopia . Smulders said about 27 percent of the world 's hungry live in India and 15 percent in China . The other countries each represent 4 to 5 percent of the world 's total . There has been progress in fighting hunger in the Asian nations of Thailand and Vietnam , and in the sub-Saharan African nations of Ghana , Republic of Congo , Nigeria , Mozambique and Malawi , the report said . Food prices have declined from their peak earlier in the year , but they are staying high compared to other years , the agency said . The Food and Agriculture Organization 's food price index was 28 percent higher in October than it was two years before . `` Prices of major cereals have fallen by over 50 percent from their peaks earlier in 2008 but they remain high compared to previous years , '' the FAO said . The agency said the `` rural and urban poor , landless farmers and female-headed households are the worst hit by high food prices . '' -- CNN 's Joe Sterling contributed to this report .", "question": "What are undernourished ?", "answer": "963 million people"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Tens of thousands of Congolese refugees fled camps Tuesday in the Democratic Republic of Congo as rebel troops attacked government forces in the area , the U.N. refugee agency said . Refugees move along a road Tuesday in Mugunga , near Goma , in the Democratic Republic of Congo . A press release from the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said it did n't appear rebels had targeted the camps , but it reported some were looted after camp residents , classified as internally displaced persons , fled . Roads to Goma , about 10 miles from the camps , were crowded with refugees and local residents fleeing the fighting , the UNHCR reported . Torrential rain made the movement even more difficult . `` The main road toward Sake was crowded with people ; we had difficulties getting through , '' UNHCR field safety adviser Pierre Nazroo was quoted as saying in the agency 's release . `` Internally displaced people are moving from site to site , direction Goma . '' UNHCR spokesman Ron Redmond said , `` They have been living in extremely difficult conditions anyway . Now they have nothing but what they can carry . '' Redmond added , `` These are people in poor health ; they are soaking wet because of the torrential downpours . They need shelter , they need water , they need a lot of assistance so we 're going to have to move quickly to get that help to them because a lot of them are already in a weakened state . '' While the Congolese government accused troops under rebel general Laurent Nkunda of staging the attack , a Nkunda spokesman denied the allegation , according to a report from the Integrated Regional Information Networks , a U.N.-affiliated news service . The spokesman , Bwambale Kakolele , said Rwandan Hutu rebels who also operate in the area were behind the attack , that report said . A spokesman for the U.N. military mission in the Congo said it was uncertain which group attacked the Congo army outpost near the village of Kishangazi , according to the U.N.-affiliated news service . `` We think it could have been insurgents close to Nkunda who attacked , but we can not rule out the -LSB- Rwandan rebels -RSB- , '' spokesman Col. Pierre Cherayron was quoted as saying . The UNHCR identified the affected camps as Mugunga I , Mugunga II , Lac Vert and Bulengo , saying about 28,000 had abandoned the first three camps and about 2,000 had left Bulengo . The UNHCR said 375,000 Congolese in North Kivu province have been forced from their homes in the past year . In the past two months alone , 160,000 have fled their homes amid the fighting between renegade troops and government forces , the agency said . North Kivu is in eastern Congo near the borders of Rwanda and Uganda . Congolese President Joseph Kabila has tried to gain a cease-fire with the rebels in the area under Nkunda , but fighting continues as hard-liners among the rebels and in the government have blocked reconciliation efforts , according to the International Crisis Group , an nongovernmental organization looking for solutions to conflicts . E-mail to a friend", "question": "government troops attack ?", "answer": "attacked government forces"}, {"story_text": "NAIROBI , Kenya -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Pirates who hijacked a crude oil tanker off the coast of Kenya are approaching a Somali port , the U.S. Navy says . An undated photo of the Sirius Star in South Korean waters . The Sirius Star -- a crude `` super tanker '' flagged in Liberia and owned by the Saudi Arabian-based Saudi Aramco company -- was attacked on Saturday more than 450 nautical miles southeast of Mombasa , Kenya . The crew of 25 , including British , Croatian , Polish , Filipino and Saudi nationals , are reported to be safe . U.S. Navy Fifth Fleet Cmdr. Jane Campbell said the super tanker weighs more than 300,000 metric tons and `` is more than three times the size of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier . '' Oil industry insiders say a tanker of this size can carry up to 2 million barrels of oil , and the ship 's operator , Dubai-based Vela International Marine Ltd , says it is fully laden . A U.S. Navy spokesman said the tanker is approaching Eyl , Somalia , on the Indian Ocean coast . It is routine procedure for pirates to take hijacked ships to shore , where they will keep them while they discuss negotiations . A multinational naval force including vessels from the U.S. , the UK and Russia has been patrolling the Indian Ocean waters seas near the Gulf of Aden , which connects the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea , following a sharp increase in pirate attacks in the region . `` It was attacked more than 450 nautical offshore of Mombasa . This means that the pirates are now operating in an area of over 1.1 million square miles . This is a measure of the determination of the pirates and ... a measure of how lucrative piracy could become , '' Campbell said . Campbell said the Navy does not expect to dispatch a vessel to aide the super tanker because it does not have dangerous weapons aboard like the MV Faina , a Ukrainian ship loaded with arms that was seized by pirates on September 25 . The UK Foreign Office confirmed two Britons were aboard and said it was seeking more information about the incident . South Korean officials said on Sunday that armed gunmen hijacked a Japanese freighter and its 23-member crew off the coast of Somalia . The hijacking came as the Korean government was considering sending a warship to join those of other countries to combat piracy in the area . A Russian patrol ship also thwarted an attack on a Saudi vessel . Eleven vessels are currently being held by pirates hoping to secure ransoms for their release , according to The Associated Press . They include the MV Faina , which was hijacked along with 20 crew and a cargo of weapons and T-72 tanks . Ninety percent of ships transiting the perilous seas are using a guarded corridor and there have been no hijackings inside the zone since it was set up on August 22 , Danish Commodore Per Bigum Christensen told AP last week . Around 20,000 oil tankers , freighters and merchant vessels pass along the crucial shipping route each year . `` Our presence in the region is helping deter and disrupt criminal attacks off the Somali coast , but the situation with the Sirius Star clearly indicates the pirates ' ability to adapt their tactics and methods of attack '' said U.S. Vice Admiral Bill Gortney , commander of the Combined Maritime Forces . `` Piracy is an international crime that threatens global commerce . Shipping companies have to understand that naval forces can not be everywhere . Self protection measures are the best way to protect their vessels , their crews , and their cargo . '' CNN 's David McKenzie contributed to this report", "question": "Who owned the oil tanker ?", "answer": "Saudi Arabian-based Saudi Aramco company"}, {"story_text": "GENEVA , Switzerland -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The number of confirmed swine flu cases across the globe kept rising Friday , but some signs of hope emerged in the battle against the worldwide outbreak . Tourists sunbathe wearing surgical masks in the popular Mexican resort of Acapulco . The World Health Organization said Friday that the number of confirmed cases stood at 367 worldwide , including 141 in the United States and 156 in Mexico . Thirteen countries have confirmed cases , the organization said . Meanwhile , researchers worked to develop a vaccine for swine flu , which is also known as 2009 H1N1 . The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hopes to have a vaccine to manufacturers within a month , said Michael Shaw , lab team leader for the H1N1 response at the CDC . `` We 're doing the best we can as fast as we can , '' he said . Yet it would take four to six months from the time the appropriate strain is identified before the first doses become available , said Dr. Marie-Paule Kieny , WHO director of the Initiative for Vaccine Research . `` Of course we would like to have a vaccine tomorrow . We would have wanted to have it yesterday , '' she said . `` It 's a long journey . '' She said there is `` no doubt '' that a vaccine can be made `` in a relatively short period of time . '' The steps involved in producing a vaccine involve isolating a strain of the virus , which has already been done , and tweaking it so manufacturers can make a vaccine , Kieny said . The tweaked virus will be shipped to manufacturers , who will fine-tune it . Then come more tests before national regulatory agencies decide whether to approve a vaccine . As researchers work , at least one politician at the epicenter of the outbreak expressed optimism Friday . Authorities in Mexico are `` beginning to see evidence that the -LSB- virus -RSB- might be letting up , and the number of people who have been hospitalized has leveled out in regards to people who are contagious , at least as of yesterday , '' Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard told reporters . Watch how Mexican authorities are dealing with the outbreak '' `` We do have a problem , but I say this so that we know where we are as a city after we have done all we have done , and in what direction we are heading and how much we have progressed . And what I can say is that we are heading in the right direction . '' The WHO said Mexico has 156 confirmed cases and nine deaths . Mexican authorities say they have confirmed 16 deaths and at least 358 cases , and they suspect more than 150 deaths may have been caused by the flu . Watch Dr. Sanjay Gupta demystify pandemics '' The CDC gave the following state-by-state breakdown of the 141 confirmed H1N1 cases in the United States : Arizona , 4 ; California , 13 ; Colorado , 2 ; Delaware , 4 ; Illinois , 3 ; Indiana , 3 ; Kansas , 2 ; Kentucky , 1 ; Massachusetts , 2 ; Michigan , 2 ; Minnesota , 1 ; Nebraska , 1 ; Nevada , 1 ; New Jersey , 5 ; New York , 50 ; Ohio , 1 ; South Carolina , 16 ; Texas , 28 ; and Virginia , 2 . See where cases have been confirmed '' One death in the United States has been attributed to swine flu -- a toddler from Mexico whose family brought him to Texas for medical treatment . In a Cabinet meeting , President Obama on Friday praised the `` extraordinary '' government response to the virus but emphasized that `` we also need to prepare for the long term . '' `` Since we know that these kinds of threats can emerge at any moment , even if it turns out that the H1N1 is relatively mild on the front end , it could come back in a more virulent form during the actual flu season , and that 's why we are investing in our public health infrastructure . '' Go behind the scenes at the CDC '' He said there are indications from Mexico that `` relatively young , healthy people '' have died rather than people whose immune systems are compromised , and `` that 's why we 're taking it seriously . '' `` So I just want everybody to be clear that this is why this is a cause for concern , but not alarm . We are essentially ensuring that , in the worst-case scenario , we can manage this appropriately , government working with businesses and individuals , the private sector , and containing an outbreak , and that we can , ultimately , get through this . '' In addition to the confirmed H1N1 cases in Mexico and the United States , Canada has 34 ; Spain has 13 ; United Kingdom has 8 ; New Zealand and Germany each have 4 ; Israel has 2 ; Austria , China , Denmark , Netherlands and Switzerland each have one , according to the WHO . Learn about the virus '' Hong Kong health officials said a patient who is being treated there arrived from Mexico on a China Eastern Airlines flight that stopped in Shanghai . Denmark did not provide further details . An additional 230 cases are being investigated in the United Kingdom , and Spain has 84 suspected cases . Australia , which has had no confirmed cases , was investigating 114 . View images of responses in U.S. and worldwide '' The effects in Mexico reflect the fear and concern across the globe , including in the United States , where schools and parents are taking precautions in academics , graduations and sports because of the flu . For example , 22 students Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania who just returned from from a five-week trip to Mexico City will get their diplomas at a separate ceremony when they graduate Saturday . Texas school officials have postponed all interscholastic sports until at least May 11 . And Alabama has stopped such competitions until at least Tuesday . The U.S. Department of Education said Friday that 433 public and nonpublic schools in 17 states had been closed because of the flu outbreak . U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan noted in a news conference that the number is less than 1 percent of the nation 's approximate 100,000 schools . Earlier Friday , United Flight 903 was diverted to Boston , Massachusetts , on Friday after a female passenger started complaining of `` flu-like '' symptoms on a Munich-to-Washington flight , Logan Airport spokesman Phil Orendella said . CDC officials at a news conference Friday were asked to compare the strain with the deadly 1918 virus . `` What we have found by looking very carefully at the sequences of the new H1N1 virus is that we do not see the markers for virulence that were seen in the 1918 virus , '' said Nancy Cox , chief of the CDC 's Influenza Division . However , she added , `` We know there 's a great deal that we do not yet understand about the virulence of the 1918 virus or other influenza viruses that have a more severe clinical picture in humans . '' CNN 's Karl Penhaul , Diana Magnay , Jake Perez , Saeed Ahmed , Umaro Djau and Nicole Saidi contributed to this report .", "question": "Who says the outbreak has closed 433 schools in 17 states ?", "answer": "The U.S. Department of Education"}, {"story_text": "NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Michelle Crawley says she 's a `` freak '' about putting sunscreen on her two girls . Emily Crawley and her dad , Jere , hit the pool on the first day of a Florida vacation , which left Emily sunburned . `` They are both pretty fair skinned , '' says the West Chester , Ohio , mother of two . So every time Emily , 6 , and Claire , 3 , go out into the sun , she slathers them with SPF 30 or higher . But during a recent trip to Key Largo , Florida , Crawley 's vigilance was n't enough . `` I was n't sure if it was my technique , the sunscreen or being in Florida , '' Crawley said , but `` that evening they were just fried beyond belief . '' Slathering on sunscreen has become as much a part of the summer ritual as the vacation itself , but a consumer advocacy group has a warning for parents like Crawley who think they 're protecting their family with sunscreen : You may be getting burned . The Environmental Working Group , a Washington-based nonprofit , has released an investigation of nearly 1,000 brand-name sunscreens that says four out of five do n't adequately protect consumers and may contain harmful chemicals . The group says that some of the products of the nation 's leading brands -- including Coppertone , Neutrogena and Banana Boat -- are the poorest performers . Read about the study Coppertone was named by the Environmental Working Group as having 41 products that failed to meet the group 's criteria for issues ranging from failing to protect adequately to containing potentially harmful ingredients to making unsubstantiated claims . But in a statement to CNN , the company says it `` rigorously tests all its products in the lab and in the real world '' to ensure that they 're safe and effective . Watch more on what to look for in sunscreen '' The makers of Banana Boat , which also failed to meet the Environmental Working Group 's standards for various reasons , did not respond to CNN 's requests for comment . Neutrogena says its sunscreen products have been `` embraced by dermatologists and consumers for their efficacy '' and says its new Helioplex technology provides broad-spectrum UV defense against sun damage . The science of sunscreens is simple : Active ingredients are compounds that absorb , reflect or block ultraviolet light . Sunscreens are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration not as cosmetics but as over-the-counter drugs . Sunscreens are rated based on their SPF , or Sun Protection Factor . The higher the SPF , the better the protection against sunburn . The Environmental Working Group says that the SPF rating on a sun product is only part of what consumers need to know and that one of the biggest problems with sunscreens is that they do n't fully protect against sunlight . `` A good , effective sunscreen must prevent against a broad spectrum of rays , '' said Sonya Lunder , a senior researcher at the Environmental Working Group . Sunlight is composed of two types of ultraviolet light : UVB rays , which cause sunburns , and UVA rays , which tan . Although both may increase the risk of skin cancer , sun damage and wrinkles , the FDA does n't require sunscreens to protect against both , just UVB . The FDA acknowledges that new rules mandating UVA testing and labeling requirements are being evaluated , but the Environmental Working Group wants tougher standards now . `` The fact most sunscreens still do n't do n't offer UVA protection and the fact the FDA has been working for years to finalize its rules is really what provoked us to look at this issue , '' Lunder said . Another issue : Is a key sunscreen ingredient safe ? Oxybenzone is a a popular UV filter in many sunscreens , one evaluated by the FDA as safe . The Environmental Working Group says its analysis of hundreds of studies of more than a dozen sunscreen chemicals finds that oxybenzone can penetrate the skin and pose health concerns , anything from hormone disruption to cancer . The industry group representing sunscreen makers denies that oxybenzone causes harm and deems such claims irresponsible . `` Questions about the safety of oxybenzone unnecessarily alarm consumers , '' said John Bailey , the chief scientist for the Personal Care Products Council , which offers its scientific information about the safety of sunscreen ingredients online . `` Safe sun '' has always been a priority for the American Academy of Dermatology , which sees sun overexposure as the single most preventable risk factor in the more than 1 million new cases of skin cancer expected to be diagnosed in the United States this year . Although dermatologists agree that broad-spectrum sun protection is important , some experts see an even bigger sun danger if people perceive that their sunscreen is n't safe . `` We 're concerned this will raise unnecessary confusion and cause people to stop using sunscreen , '' said the Skin Cancer Foundation , a nonprofit group dedicated to educating the public about sun safety . `` Consumers should rest assured that sunscreen products are safe and effective when used as directed . '' While sunscreen effectiveness is debated , all skin experts agree that how a sunscreen is used is just as important as what kind of sunscreen is used . Dermatologists say that an ounce of sunscreen should be applied to all exposed areas 30 minutes before going outside and should be reapplied every two hours , or immediately if you swim or sweat . Common sense can also protect from the sun . Experts agree that children under 6 months old should be kept out of direct sun . Children need sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher . If you are sensitive to sunscreen , never go without . Instead , try sunscreens that provide a physical barrier , such as zinc oxide or titanium dioxide . New micronizing technology makes both appear more transparent on the skin , so you do n't have to look like a lifeguard with a white nose . After her girls were sunburned , Crawley bought aloe and sun shirts , which they wore for the rest of their Florida trip . She is frustrated some consumers may not be getting the protection they think they are when they buy sunscreen . `` I think it 's disappointing if you are putting your trust in these companies , '' she said . `` Someone needs to be keeping an eye on it to make sure they are meeting their claims . '' CNN correspondent Elizabeth Cohen , senior producer Jennifer Pifer and Melanie Diaz contributed to this report .", "question": "What can the chemicals in sunscreen do ?", "answer": "penetrate the skin and pose health concerns , anything from hormone disruption to cancer"}, {"story_text": "LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Coca-Cola , the world 's largest soft drinks group , has bought a minority stake in Innocent , the British fruit drink and `` smoothie '' maker that boasts of its ethical stance . Coca-Cola faces allegations about labor abuses as well as health and environmental concerns . Innocent said on its Web site the U.S. firm had paid # 30 million -LRB- $ 44 million -RRB- for a stake of `` between 10 and 20 percent '' to fund plans to expand in Europe . Innocent employs 275 people , has a turnover of more than # 100 million and sells about two million smoothies each week . Its three founders , who set up the company 10 years by selling smoothies at a London music festival , insisted its ethical stance would not be compromised and they would continue to run and manage the business . Are ethics and business compatible ? Tell us what you think `` Every promise that Innocent has made -- about making only natural healthy products , pioneering the use of better , socially and environmentally aware ingredients , packaging and production techniques , donating money to charity and having a point of view on the world -- will remain , '' co-founder Richard Reed said . `` We 'll just get to do them even more . '' Coca-Cola `` has been in business for over 120 years , so there will be things we can learn from them . And in some small ways we may be able to influence their thinking too . '' James Quincey , group business unit president for Coca-Cola Europe , said : `` We are delighted to have the opportunity to invest in Innocent 's future . We have long admired their brand , their products and their unique approach to business . '' But the investment is sure to open up Innocent to charges that its ideals are being diluted . Coca-Cola has been criticized over negative health effects resulting from consumption of its products . It has also faced allegations about labor abuses in Colombia and environmental concerns in India , among other places . Sales of Coke are holding up well amid the global economic crisis thanks to strong growth in China and India . In February the company reported a 4 percent rise in sales volumes in the last three months of 2008 and a 10 percent increase in comparable earnings .", "question": "What did it pay for the stake ?", "answer": "# 30 million -LRB- $ 44 million"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- And they 're off ! Tens of millions of Americans are on the move for the annual November trek to see family and friends , feast on turkey and pumpkin pie , and rediscover the joys of their hometown on Thanksgiving . You probably know the drill : packed airports , crowded flights and lots of out-of-state license plates on the road . All eyes are on the weather , which can turn a simple trip into a nightmare -- cue visions of Steve Martin and John Candy struggling to get to snowy Chicago in `` Planes , Trains and Automobiles . '' Should you recline your seat ? The etiquette of crowded flying Travelers faced stormy conditions in the Pacific Northwest , the threat of floods and severe storms in the South , lots of rain in the Northeast and the possibility of snow in parts of New England . On Tuesday afternoon , weather-related flight delays were reported at airports including Philadelphia International , O'Hare , Newark International , LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy International . Check FAA flight delay information But the threat of bad weather is not keeping people home . AAA projects that 42.5 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles during the Thanksgiving weekend , an increase of 4 % from last year . Slightly fewer people are choosing to get to their destinations by plane . About 23.2 million travelers will fly over a 12-day period surrounding Turkey Day , a 2 % drop from last year , according to a forecast by the Air Transport Association of America . Unlike last year , when the `` National Opt-Out Day '' movement against airport body scanners threatened to snarl security lines across the country , air travelers are not facing the prospect of protest-induced delays . -LRB- The Opt-Out Day turned out to be a non-event . -RRB- The TSA says it 's preparing its work force for a `` smooth holiday travel experience for travelers . '' iReport : Tell us how your trip is going The busiest air travel days for the Thanksgiving holiday period are expected to be Sunday , November 27 , and Monday , November 28 , the Air Transport Association of America said . If you 're flying into or out of Los Angeles International , Chicago 's O'Hare International or Orlando International , brace yourself for lots of company . Those will be the nation 's busiest airports this Thanksgiving , based on flight bookings , according to Orbitz.com . -LRB- And in case you 're wondering , Mineta San Jose International in California and Kahului Airport in Maui , Hawaii , will be the least busy . -RRB- No matter where you start your journey , flight attendants say , it 's a week when they see lots of extra-grumpy passengers worried about flight delays and cancellations . `` There 's a little bit more at stake . Oftentimes , people are trying to get someplace to be with their family , so naturally they would be upset if they 're not going to make it , '' said Rene Foss , a veteran flight attendant for a major U.S. airline . `` However , in general , it 's also kind of a festive time . Sometimes , contrary to what you might think , people are in a good mood because they are going for something kind of fun as opposed to just a business meeting or something related to work . '' Flying with food or gifts ? Check out the TSA 's guide to what you can and can not bring through an airport security checkpoint . The agency reminds you not to wrap gifts you are taking on the plane because security officers may have to unwrap them if they need to take a closer look . The TSA also offers tips on how to get through the security line faster , including packing coats and jackets in checked bags whenever possible and putting your shoes directly on the conveyor belt instead of a bin when they go through the X-ray machine . Then , there are things you ca n't control : Snow , fog or rain may mean you wo n't fly on time or at all . To avoid being stuck at the airport , sign up for airline alerts and check your flights frequently online before you leave home . If your flight is canceled , get in line for assistance and try your airline by phone or online at the same time to get an edge over other fliers who are trying to rebook . Winter weather travel tips If you 're driving through an area that 's expecting wintry weather , AAA recommends that you keep at least half a tank of gas in your car at all times and pack a cell phone , plus blankets , gloves , hats , food , water and any needed medication in case you 're stranded . Stay safe out there , and happy travels .", "question": "Which three airports will be the busiest ?", "answer": "Los Angeles International , Chicago 's O'Hare International or Orlando International"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Four suspects are sought in connection with the shooting death over the weekend of a Houston , Texas , doctor , Austin County authorities said Monday . Dr. Jorge Mario Gonzales was found shot to death at his ranch in rural Texas on Saturday , police say . Dr. Jorge Mario Gonzalez , 56 , was chief of the critical care section at Houston 's Methodist Hospital and `` a pulmonary medicine leader , '' according to the hospital system 's Web site . He was found dead Saturday when deputies responded to a 911 call of a burglary in progress shortly after noon , said Austin County Sheriff 's Office spokesman Sgt. Paul Faircloth . The responding officer was met by vehicles leaving the location , Faircloth said , and a person in one vehicle fired on the officer . The officer and his car were not struck , and the officer did not return fire , Faircloth said . The officer was able to provide a detailed description of the vehicles , he said . At the home , which Faircloth said is in a rural , wooded and isolated area , officers found Gonzalez shot to death and another person wounded . The second victim was airlifted to an Austin , Texas , hospital . Watch Dr. Gonzalez 's son talk about his father '' Gonzalez 's wife and small child were found unharmed inside the home , Faircloth said . CNN affiliate KHOU identified the woman as Charleen Gonzalez , 29 , and the couple 's 2-year-old son , and reported the two hid in a closet . Authorities do not know whether the incident was a burglary or an intended home invasion , Faircloth said , and `` we do not know if this is random or targeted . '' Several leads were being followed Monday morning , he said , and numerous agencies were involved in the investigation . The motive for the killing had not been determined on Monday . The slaying took place at Gonzalez 's ranch outside Bellville , Texas , said Lisa Block , spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Public Safety . Gonzalez , his wife and child arrived at the ranch about 11 a.m. Saturday , she said , and `` the suspects were at the house when they arrived . '' Gonzalez 's wife ran inside with the child and called 911 , she said . Ranch worker Noel Galvan was the second victim , Block said . He was listed in critical condition , she said . Faircloth said earlier Monday five suspects were being sought , but later said police were seeking four . The vehicles seen leaving the home were a late '90s white Ford F-150 pickup , occupied by two Hispanic males , Faircloth said , and a red Honda or Acura with dark tinted windows sitting low to the ground , with one Hispanic male inside . The shots were fired from the white pickup , he said . Another vehicle mentioned earlier Monday was a two-toned silver and black Ford F-150 that had two Hispanic males inside . Faircloth said Monday afternoon that vehicle had been located and was not thought to be involved . However , police released a video of a gray Lexus on Monday , and would like to question its owners , Faircloth said . The drivers are believed to be an older couple . The car was seen before the officer encountered the white and red vehicles . `` The manhunt continues on the ground , '' Faircloth said . The suspects are considered armed and dangerous , he said . Faircloth said he had no information on whether the home had surveillance equipment . Family members told KHOU that Gonzalez went to the ranch nearly every weekend . `` It 's deeply saddening for all of us , '' an older son of Gonzalez , Juan Mauricio Gonzalez , told KHOU . `` We are a tight-knit family and he was just a perfect man , a perfect father and a great physician . '' The Methodist Hospital System said Gonzalez will be missed , `` both as a friend and an outstanding clinician and researcher . Our prayers and thoughts go out to his family during this tragedy . '' `` This man had nothing to do with anybody , '' Juan Gonzalez told KHOU . `` He was a peaceful man . He was a wise man . He was just here to make people better and nothing else . '' A reward totaling $ 26,000 was offered for information in the case leading to an arrest . CNN 's Melanie Whitley contributed to this report .", "question": "What did police respond to ?", "answer": "911 call of a burglary"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A woman asked Rep. Allen Boyd at a town hall meeting the other day if health care reform proposals would force people to let the government access their bank accounts . False rumors about health care have been aired at town hall meetings , like this one in Maryland last week . `` That 's not true , '' the Florida Democrat responded . `` When someone sends you something on the Internet that sounds crazy , how about just checking it a little bit ? '' The CNN Truth Squad , which fact-checks political claims , has debunked the bank-access rumor as false . Yet that claim , and others that have been disproved , keep coming up in the national debate on health care reform , inflaming an already emotional issue . Heated protests have disrupted town hall meetings nationwide , with people shouting at legislators and venting anger at President Obama . While the anger is genuine , some of it is based on misunderstandings of the actual proposals , said Kenneth Thorpe , a health policy expert at Emory University . `` People are freaked out because there 's a lot of bad information and misinformation being ... put out there by opponents of health care reform , '' Thorpe told CNN . Obama and the Democrats say misleading information sows fear and anger , particularly among senior citizens who are worried about how changes in health care could affect Medicare . The White House and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have set up Web campaigns to refute what they describe as provably false information . `` It is now evident that an ugly campaign is under way not merely to misrepresent the health insurance reform legislation , but to disrupt public meetings and prevent members of Congress and constituents from conducting a civil dialogue , '' Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer wrote in a recent commentary . Republican opponents respond that the emotional reaction is due to Democratic efforts to rush through legislation that amounts to a government takeover of the health care system . They say the proposals eventually will lead to a system that rations treatment based on an individual 's ability to contribute to society . `` We 've actually started a national debate about exactly what is at stake here , '' Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele said Wednesday . Speaking on MSNBC , Steele said the town hall meetings across the country are reflecting that debate . However , when asked directly about one of the most controversial statements by some Republicans -- that a House bill would create `` death panels '' to decide who gets treatment -- Steele refused to acknowledge that such language was misinformation . The CNN Truth Squad determined the `` death panel '' claim was false , along with others spread by conservative commentators and activist groups who say Democratic proposals would promote euthanizing elderly Americans and mandate free health insurance for illegal immigrants . One of the most disputed provisions , contained in a House health care proposal , would pay doctors for consultations with patients on end-of-life issues , such as living wills . The proposal is similar to one originally written by Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson of Georgia . Opponents have implied or said outright that consultations would be required -- even though the proposal says they would be voluntary . Some Republicans and Democrats have rejected the `` death panel '' language , but the issue keeps coming up . At a town hall meeting Tuesday night in Dartmouth , Massachusetts , powerful House Democrat Rep. Barney Frank called the notion that health care legislation required killing elderly people `` the single stupidest thing I 've heard . '' Obama says the misinformation confuses people over an already complex issue that requires public understanding . `` The notion that somehow I ran for public office or members of Congress are in this so that they can go around pulling the plug on grandma ... when you start making arguments like that , it 's simply dishonest , '' the president recently said . Wendell Potter , a former insurance company communications executive , told CNN that the insurance industry deliberately spreads false information with the goal of disrupting the debate . The insurance industry hires public relations firms that create front groups to try to `` destroy health care reform by using terms like ` government takeover of the health care system ' or we are heading down a ` slippery slope toward socialism ' or ` we 're going to kill your grandpa ' because of these health care regulations , '' said Potter , now a senior fellow at the Center for Media and Democracy , which calls itself a nonpartisan watchdog group on public relations spin . Asked to respond to Potter 's accusation , the director of strategic communications at America 's Health Insurance Plans , Robert Zirkelbach , acknowledged in an e-mail Wednesday that the group opposes some aspects of Democratic health care proposals . `` We have been very clear and up front since day one about our opposition to a government-run insurance plan that would dismantle employer coverage , bankrupt hospitals , and increase the federal deficit , '' Zirkelbach 's e-mail said . He denied that employees of his group , which is the national association of health insurers , were `` responsible for disruptive and inappropriate tactics at health care town hall meetings . '' However , some of the language cited by Potter is used by politicians , including Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah , who told the NBC program `` Meet the Press '' on Sunday that `` the Democrats want a government plan , where the government will take over health care . '' Democratic proposals call for creating a government-funded health insurance plan for people who otherwise lack coverage . That is the so-called public option , which they say would compete with private insurers . Hatch and other Republicans argue the public option would create a subsidized competitor that would drive private insurers out of business , leading to the government taking over the health care system . Though Democrats deny that Republican assertion , it touches on broader fears among conservatives . Many conservatives consider the proposed health care overhaul an irresponsible and dangerous expansion of the federal government . They liken it to socialist-style control over private issues , at a cost of nearly $ 1 trillion over 10 years . At the same time , Americans facing an economic recession and costly government responses -- such as the $ 787 billion economic stimulus package and billions more paid to bail out the financial services and auto industries -- are fearful of further change and additional federal debt . Such concerns come up repeatedly at the town hall meetings held by Democrats and Republicans . The deficit recently topped $ 1 trillion for the first time ; Obama has said he hopes to cut it in half by the end of his first term . `` When the economy is hurting , people are more inclined , I think , to be skeptical , nervous , '' Frank said . The misinformation , while refuted , has brought changes in the debate . Conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh exulted Monday when Republican Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa said that Senate negotiators dropped the end-of-life consultation provision from their proposal because Grassley said he worried it `` could be misinterpreted and implemented incorrectly . '' Limbaugh said on his radio show that no matter what the health care proposals say , they will result in less money available for health care . `` It will forever transform the relationship between Americans , '' he said . `` We will instantly become rivals . We 're going to become competitors vying against each other for precious health care dollars . '' Grassley , who is one of three Republicans negotiating a possible bipartisan health care agreement , has used controversial language himself . He told a town hall meeting last week he could n't support a provision that would `` pull the plug on grandma . '' Former Democratic Sen. Tom Daschle called such comments part of the problem . `` It 's hyperbolic , it 's fear-mongering , it 's actually politics at its worst , '' Daschle said Sunday on NBC 's `` Meet the Press . '' `` That 's the kind of thing that generates the kind of anger and fear and anxiety that people have today . ''", "question": "What continue to pop up at town hall meetings ?", "answer": "False rumors about health care"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Some Democrats appear to be wavering on a highly contentious House resolution labeling Turkey 's treatment of Armenians in World War I as genocide . A KC-135 tanker lands at Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey in 2003 . Turkey , a longtime U.S. ally and NATO partner , was incensed by the resolution calling the killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks genocide and threatened to block access to Incirlik Air Base after the resolution passed a House committee vote . The base , in southern Turkey near Syria , is a major resupply center for U.S. operations in Iraq and elsewhere in the Mideast and Asia . The Pentagon is preparing to set up new supply routes for troops in Iraq if Turkey cuts off U.S. access to the strategically important Incirlik , military officials said Tuesday . Ankara acknowledges the killings of Armenians during World War I but vehemently objects to the `` genocide '' label . The House Foreign Affairs Committee last week adopted the nonbinding resolution . House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she would bring the measure to a vote of the full House sometime next month . But the Bush administration urged Congress to drop the issue , and some leading Democrats urged Pelosi not to bring it to the floor . Majority Leader Steny Hoyer signaled Tuesday that the vote might be put off . `` I said I thought we would bring this up prior to us leaving here , '' said Hoyer of Maryland . `` I have not changed on that , although I would be less than candid to say that there are a number of people who are revisiting their own positions . We will have to determine where everybody is . '' Democratic Rep. Ike Skelton , the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee , announced his opposition to the resolution last week . And Democratic Reps. Alcee Hastings of Florida and John Tanner of Tennessee , both members of the U.S. House delegation to NATO , urged Pelosi to reconsider in a letter released Tuesday . `` More than half of the cargo flown into Iraq and Afghanistan comes through Incirlik Air Base , and this base would be a key component of any plans for redeployment of our troops in the future , '' they wrote . Lt. Gen. Carter Ham , the director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff , said Pentagon planners are looking at `` a broad range of options '' to keep food , fuel and ammunition flowing to U.S. troops in Iraq if Turkey blocks Incirlik . `` We 're confident that we 'll find ways to do that , '' Ham told reporters at the Pentagon . `` There 's likely to be some increased cost and some other implications for that , and obviously we 'd prefer to maintain the access that we have . '' Defense Secretary Robert Gates echoed lawmakers ' concerns last week . `` About 70 percent of all air cargo going into Iraq goes through Turkey . ... About a third of the fuel that they consume goes through Turkey or comes from Turkey , '' Gates said . He also said that 95 percent of the Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protective vehicles , or MRAPs , being deployed in Iraq are flown through Turkey . The vehicles are built to withstand roadside bombs . See Incirlik 's key location '' The U.S. military issued a `` warning order '' a few days ago to ensure that alternative air crews , planes , fuel and routes are lined up if Turkey stops or restricts U.S. access to Incirlik , a source said . Jordan and Kuwait are among the alternatives the United States is considering . Some fear pursuit of the resolution would also embolden the Turks to attack Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq which could further complicate Iraqi stability , U.S. officials said . Incirlik offers 10,000 - and 9,000-foot runways and 57 hardened aircraft shelters , according Globalsecurity.org , a source of background information about military issues . Globalsecurity said Incirlik has become a hub for cargo shipments to Iraq , taking over for Rhein-Main Air Base in Germany because it is closer to Iraq , reducing the strain on troops and aircraft . E-mail to a friend CNN 's Barbara Starr and Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report .", "question": "What resolution in congress was Turkey upset about", "answer": "killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks genocide"}, {"story_text": "LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Blake Mycoskie is the founder and `` chief shoe giver '' of TOMS Shoes , a company that matches every pair of shoes it sells with a free pair to an impoverished child . Blake Mycoskie started TOMS Shoes in 2006 . The company is committed to giving free shoes to poor children around the world . CNN caught up with the 32-year-old entrepreneur to talk about the inspiration behind his revolutionary business and what he has planned next . CNN : Tell us about the TOMS model . Mycoskie : The TOMS initiative is very simple : For every pair of shoes we sell , we give a pair away . When we know that say , we 're going to sell 10,000 pairs this spring , we make another 10,000 to be given away . CNN : Where did you get the idea to start TOMS ? Mycoskie : I decided to go back to some of the places that my sister and I had visited on `` The Amazing Race . '' -LSB- Mycoskie and his sister participated in the reality TV show in 2002 . -RSB- I found myself going on to Argentina . I went to some of the villages and it was one of the defining moments of my life when I saw these kids not wearing shoes . That 's where I kind of had this ` ah ha ' moment . I started thinking , what if I started a business where every time I sold a pair of shoes , I would guarantee that customer that I would give another pair to someone who does not have shoes ? CNN : How did you pursue your vision ? Did you have any experience as a designer or shoemaker ? Mycoskie : I had absolutely no experience in shoes or fashion so I approached the business how I have done everything in my life , and that 's with reckless ambition . There were a lot of really cool styles of shoes in Argentina that we did not have in the United States so I picked one of them , the alpargata , and I started figuring out how to make shoes . CNN : Did you expect the company to be a big success when you launched ? Mycoskie : I was not really looking to make any money on the deal . I wanted to be able to sell the shoes for enough money to give away another pair and to hire one or two people to administer it and keep it going once I went back to work . But what I found was that not only did people find this concept just very intriguing - from a fashion perspective , people loved these shoes . All of a sudden I started selling in the top boutiques . CNN : When did you realize that TOMS was going to be much more than a small project ? Mycoskie : I think the crowning moment was when Vogue magazine called and that was a few months after we started . That was when I was really like , ` Wow , this is not just some small little shoe philanthropy that I have created . ' This could be a real business and it could be a real player in the fashion industry and it could really set a tone for how fashion companies could give back . CNN : Has philanthropy always been a priority for you ? Mycoskie : I always thought that I would spend the first half of my life making money so I can spend the second half of my life giving it all away . And one of the defining moments of my life was when I realized that I could do both at the same time with TOMS . CNN : What are some of your proudest achievements ? Mycoskie : One thing that is most unique about TOMS and I think that I 'm most proud of is that every single pair -LSB- of shoes -RSB- is hand placed onto a child 's foot . CNN : How has TOMS evolved since you started it in 2006 ? Mycoskie : A big part of our business that has changed over the past year is that now we also have a travel organization that takes volunteers all over the world on these trips and -LSB- they -RSB- get the experience of giving away the shoes . CNN : Tell us about the process of producing TOMS . Mycoskie : A very big passion of mine and that of the people that run our production is finding factories that have fair labor practices and treating them more like partners in our family than people just who are going to produce for us . One of the things we have always done with all of our factories is I personally visit them and we actually show our documentary film about what we do . When you connect with the factory like that , everything goes much better . CNN : You 've called yourself a serial entrepreneur . Do you have another business in the pipeline ? Mycoskie : I can honestly say that TOMS is my future . I mean I have no desire to start any other company for as long as I live because this is the perfect blend of business and philanthropy to me . CNN : What 's next for TOMS ? Mycoskie : The future of TOMS is really creating a whole new business model of this one-for-one giving and expanding the TOMS model from shoes into other products as well . So while we are not committed to doing anything else right now , we are looking for partners out there who have great products and that want to find a way to incorporate giving back .", "question": "What does he want to provide ?", "answer": "free shoes to poor children around the world"}, {"story_text": "NEW DELHI , India -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The collective cry throughout India of `` Jai ho '' -LRB- May you win -RRB- received a resounding answer when composer A.R. Rahman took home two Oscars for the movie `` Slumdog Millionaire . '' Composer A. R. Rahman , `` The Mozart of Madras , '' celebrates his double Oscar win -- for Best Score and one for the song `` Jai Ho '' from the film . Rahman 's wins -- one for the song `` Jai Ho '' and the other for Best Score -- were just two reasons for Indians to erupt in boisterous celebrations Monday morning . `` Slumdog , '' which was shot in the streets and slums of Mumbai bagged eight golden statuettes in total , including one for Best Sound Mixing . Indian Resul Pookutty shared it with fellow sound editors who worked on the film . `` This is the finest hour of Indian cinema in the global scenario , '' said Anand Sharma , the country 's junior external affairs minister . Indians crowded around television sets in dorm rooms , restaurants and homes , exhaling in relief as Rahman 's name was announced as the winner . They high-fived each other , hugged , shrieked and wept . `` I can not describe this feeling , '' said Nikhil Jyonti , a Mumbai resident . `` I 'm bursting with pride for India . '' In the Mumbai slum of Dharavi , where many of the scenes in `` Slumdog '' were shot , a television was set out for the street children to watch the ceremony . Few in the teeming slum of one million people had heard of the Oscars , but they knew Rahman 's win was a source of pride for the country . Danny Boyle 's rags-to-riches film tells the story of a tea-boy at a Mumbai call center who earns a spot in the Indian version of the quiz show `` Who Wants To Be a Millionaire ? '' He raises the suspicion of the show 's host when , despite the lack of a formal education , he begins to answer the increasingly difficult questions with ease . The movie also won four Golden Globes and a host of honors at other award shows . While the overwhelming sentiment was one of pride Monday , the movie has faced backlash from many Indian movie critics who took exception to its depiction of Mumbai 's underworld without highlighting any of the city 's achievements . Among the most notable criticisms was one offered by Amitabh Bachchan , considered the most successful movie star in Bollywood history , and a former real-life host of the Indian `` Millionaire . '' The film , '' he said , `` projects India as the third world 's dirty underbelly ... and causes pain and disgust among nationalists and patriots . '' But most Mumabikers , still reeling from a terrorist attack in their city in November , embraced the movie while looking for something positive to root for . They found that in Rahman , a composer who has consistently broken barriers in his musical scores for dozens of Bollywood hits and is known as the `` Mozart of Madras . '' Rahman has sold more than 200 million albums worldwide -- more than the Beatles -- but has remained relatively unknown in Europe and the United States . Director Spike Lee used one of his songs in his 2006 heist film , `` Inside Man . '' Many hope the Oscar win will bring Rahman greater exposure . Rahman and Pookutty , however , are n't the first Indians with Academy Awards to their names . In 1992 , legendary Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray received an honorary award for his contribution to world cinema . And in 1982 , Bhanu Athaiya shared an Oscar for costume design for the movie `` Gandhi . '' CNN 's Saeed Ahmed and Harmeet Shah Singh contributed to this report", "question": "What did Resul Pookutty win ?", "answer": "Best Sound Mixing"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- Mental Floss -RRB- -- Have you ever wondered about the origins and namesakes of our favorite spreads , sauces , and dressings ? Here are a few stories that you can use to regale your friends the next time you chow down . Peppers were imported from the Mexican state of Tabasco to make spicy Tabasco sauce , giving the condiment its name . 1 . Thousand Island Dressing Is the delicious dressing that gives a Reuben its tanginess named after an actual chain of islands ? You bet it is . The Thousand Islands are an archipelago that sits in the Saint Lawrence River on the U.S.-Canada border , and there are actually 1,793 of them , some of which are so small that they contain nothing more than a single home . So why is the dressing named after an archipelago ? No one 's quite sure . Some people claim that early film star and vaudevillian May Irwin , who summered on the Thousand Islands , named it , while others contend that George Boldt , the famed proprietor of the Waldorf-Astoria , gave the dressing its name because of his own summer place in the region . No matter who named it , it 's tough to beat on a sandwich . 2 . Ranch Dressing Yep , the beloved dressing and dipping sauce actually got its start on a real ranch . When Steve and Gayle Henson opened a dude ranch in California in 1954 , they had an ace up their sleeves : a delicious dressing that Steve had concocted while the couple was living in Alaska . The couple did a nice business at their Hidden Valley Ranch , but guests were always flipping out over just how tasty Steve 's dressing was . Eventually , the Hensons started bottling the stuff , and the popularity grew so quickly that they had to hire a twelve-man crew just to help mix up each batch . Steve 's culinary creativity turned out to be lucrative ; in 1972 Clorox forked over $ 8 million for the recipe . Mental Floss : Foods named after people 3 . A1 Steak Sauce According to the brand 's Web site , A1 has been around for quite a while . Henderson William Brand worked as the personal chef for King George IV from 1824 to 1831 , and at some point during this employment mixed up a new sauce for the king to use on his beef . George IV allegedly took one bite of Brand 's creation and declared that it was `` A1 . '' Brand then left the king 's employ in order to go peddle his new sauce . 4 . Tabasco Sauce Tabasco sauce is perhaps the most famous of all hot sauces , but where did it get its name ? When Edmund McIlhenny , a former banker , invented the sauce in Louisiana in 1868 , he did n't have a huge supply of chili peppers at his disposal . To keep cooking , he imported peppers from the Mexican state of Tabasco and slapped the region 's name on his bottles . Mental Floss : The origins of salt , pepper and other popular spices 5 . Heinz 57 Legend has it that Heinz 57 takes its name from H.J. Heinz 's company formerly marketing 57 products at once , and except for the number , the story holds up . Heinz 's Web site tells a story that Henry John Heinz was riding a train when he saw a billboard advertising 21 varieties of shoes . He so liked the idea he wanted to try it with his own condiment company . Thus , he started touting Heinz 's 57 varieties . There was only one catch : Heinz marketed well over 60 products at the time . So where did the 57 come from ? Heinz thought the number was lucky . Five was Heinz 's lucky number , and seven was his wife 's . He mashed the charmed digits together , got 57 , and never looked back . 6 . Tartar Sauce Fish 's best friend is named after an alternate spelling of the word `` Tatar , '' which was how Western Europeans once referred to almost anyone of Mongolian or Turkic descent . Many of these Tatars/Tartars ran roughshod over Europe in the time of Genghis Khan , but they knew how to cook . One of the dishes they left behind , beef tartare , came back into fashion in 19th-century France . These helpings of steak tartare came with a number of garnishes , including the creamy white stuff that eventually became generically known as tartar sauce . Mental Floss : The history of utensils -LRB- spork included -RRB- 7 . Hollandaise Sauce Hollandaise , the lemon-butter-and-egg yumminess that Eggs Benedict ca n't live without , is n't actually Dutch . Instead , it 's one of the most well known French sauces . The sauce first appeared in French cooking in the 17th century , and is apparently named both because it somewhat resembles an old Dutch sauce and because the Dutch had such thriving butter and egg industries that provided two of the sauce 's main ingredients . For more mental_floss articles , visit mentalfloss.com", "question": "Tabasco Sauce 's name derives from where ?", "answer": "the Mexican state of"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Searchers have recovered the bodies of three people who were aboard a Yemenia Airways jet that crashed off the coast of Comoros in the Indian Ocean , a spokesman for Yemen 's Civil Aviation department said Tuesday . A man hugs a relative of one of the victims at an airport in Marseille in southern France . Capt. Mohammed Abdel Rahman Abdel Qadir also told reporters that a child who was reported found alive was a 5-year-old boy . He did not give further details of the child 's condition . `` The French said that -LRB- Wednesday -RRB- they will send more French units to the accident location in order to retrieve the bodies and possibly that they may be able to locate people who are still alive , '' he said . The Airbus 310 went down early Tuesday , carrying 142 passengers and 11 crew members on a flight that originated in Yemen 's capital , Sanaa . Qadir said the jet took off from Sanaa shortly before 10 p.m. Monday and vanished from radar when it was about 16 miles from Comoros ' capital , Moroni . Searchers have not located the plane 's data recorders , Qadir said , and investigators were not speculating on the cause of the crash . `` The weather conditions were indeed very troubling and the winds were very strong , reaching 61 kilometers per hour -LRB- 38 mph -RRB- , '' he said . `` That 's one thing . The other thing was that the sea was very rough when the plane approached landing at Moroni airport . '' But French Transport Minister Dominique Bussereau noted that several years ago France banned the plane , a A310-300 , because of safety concerns . `` People are talking about poor weather conditions , but for the moment , we are unsure , '' Bussereau said . `` It seems the plane may have attempted an approach , put on the gas , and attempted another approach , which then failed . For the moment , we must be careful because none of this information is verified . '' Qadir said it was too early to blame the aircraft for the crash . `` This plane is just like any other plane , '' he said . `` It can have a malfunction , but we do n't know what really happened before the investigation is over . And then we can determine if there is a technical issue , bad weather or anything else that may have led to the crash . '' It was the second crash involving an Airbus jet in a month . On June 1 , an Air France Airbus A330 crashed off Brazil while en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris , France . All 228 aboard are presumed dead . The cause remains under investigation . Recent plane crashes '' Former pilot and aviation analyst John Cox said there were no similarities between the two incidents . `` These are two dramatically different airplanes flown by two different airlines , '' Cox told CNN 's `` American Morning . '' `` The accidents happened at two different regimes of flight . And Airbus has hundreds of millions of hours flying safely . I do n't believe that ... we can draw any conclusions because the manufacturer was the same in these two very different types of accidents . '' At first , Comoros officials said there were no signs of survivors among the dead bodies floating in the choppy waters . But then rescuers found the child . Watch as airline describes child 's rescue '' Cox said it reminded him of the 1987 crash of Northwest Flight 255 in Detroit , Michigan , in which only a 4-year-old girl survived while 156 others died . `` This has come up before , and it 's where the toddler was seated -LRB- during the impact -RRB- that allowed them to survive , '' he said . `` It 's a miracle and I 'm glad ... the toddler is safe . I 'm just saddened for the loss of everybody else , '' he added . The Yemeni crash occurred as the plane approached the Hahaya airport in Moroni . The plane tried to land , then U-turned before it crashed , Comoros Vice President Idi Nadhoim said . Officials did not know why the plane could not land , he said . Flight 626 was expected to be a four-and-a-half-hour flight . The airline has three regular flights a week to Moroni , off the east coast of Africa , about 2,900 km -LRB- 1,800 miles -RRB- south of Yemen . The crash occurred about 1:30 a.m. , Nadhoim said . There was no indication of foul play behind the crash , the official in Yemen said . Yemenia Air had used the jet since 1999 on about 17,300 flights , Airbus officials said . The company said it would assist in investigating the crash . `` The concerns and sympathy of the Airbus employees go to the families , friends and loved ones affected by the accident , '' the company said in a statement . In the wake of the Air France crash on June 1 , United States accident investigators have been probing two recent failures of airspeed and altitude indications aboard Airbus A330s . One flight was between the United States and Brazil in May , and the other between Hong Kong and Japan in June . The planes landed safely and there were no injuries or damage , according to the National Transportation Safety Board . CNN 's Saad Abedine and Ayesha Durgahee contributed to this report", "question": "How many people was the jet carrying ?", "answer": "142 passengers and 11 crew members"}, {"story_text": "LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- British lawmakers demanded answers Thursday after a newspaper reported that a UK tabloid illegally hacked the phones of thousands of public figures including Gwyneth Paltrow , George Michael and Elle MacPherson . Britain 's News of the World tabloid is at the center of the phone-hacking allegations . Prosecutors said they would look again at claims of alleged phone hacking by the News of the World . However police said they would not conduct a new investigation into the claims by the Guardian newspaper . Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner John Yates said officers had seen no additional evidence since its last investigation . Earlier Thursday the Guardian reported the cell phones of `` several thousand public figures '' were hacked into by reporters and staff of the News of the World tabloid during one month in 2006 . The public figures named by the Guardian as victims of the phone hackings include lawmaker John Prescott , who was then the deputy prime minister ; Tessa Jowell , who was the secretary of state for culture , responsible for the media ; and London Mayor Boris Johnson , who at the time was the Conservative Party spokesman on higher education . The Guardian said actress Gwyneth Paltrow , model Elle MacPherson , actor Jude Law , singer George Michael , celebrity chef Nigella Lawson , celebrity PR agent Max Clifford , and actors union Equity were also victims of the hacking . `` The allegations -- the enormity of it -- is just unbelievable , '' Prescott told the BBC on Thursday morning . `` I think it is outrageous , '' former Home Secretary Charles Clarke , who was not named among the alleged victims , told the BBC . `` I think we do need action immediately . '' Thursday 's revelations in the Guardian come from a case last year in which Gordon Taylor , the head of the Professional Footballers ' Association , was suing the News of the World for illegally intercepting messages on his cell phone . The tabloid paid Taylor more than # 400,000 -LRB- $ 800,000 at the time -RRB- to settle the case , the Guardian said . The case file was sealed , but the newspaper said it obtained the suppressed evidence . That evidence , the Guardian said , shows that journalists working for the News of the World paid private investigators to illegally hack the cell phones of several thousand public figures . The staff then paid for the information the investigators obtained , the Guardian said . News International , the parent company of the News of the World defended its journalists and said it would not `` shirk from vigorously defending our right and proper role to expose wrongdoing . '' In a statement News International , the UK subsidiary of News Corporation , said it was prevented by `` confidentiality obligations from discussing certain allegations made in the Guardian newspaper today . '' But the statement stressed its staff have been told they must operate within the law and the industry 's code of conduct . Police and prosecutors also came under scrutiny in the Guardian 's report . It said the Metropolitan Police were aware of the hackings and raided the offices of some of the private investigators but did not inform those whose phones allegedly were targeted . The paper also said prosecutors decided not to take any legal action over the claims . Prescott demanded to know why -- if those allegations are true -- he was n't told that his phone had been allegedly been hacked . `` I am writing to the chief of police to ask him and the Met authorities , did you know that many of our phones were being tapped ? Did you tell the public prosecutor ? Did the prosecutor then say ` no further action ' ? '' Prescott told the BBC . `` I ca n't believe that such legal authorities -- on such serious charges , if these allegations are right -- did nothing , and I want to know from them . '' A spokeswoman for Jude Law said the actor was not commenting on the Guardian 's report . Other celebrities contacted by CNN had no immediate comment . A spokesman for Equity said the union was writing to the commissioner of the Metropolitan Police to ask for evidence accompanying the claims . The Guardian reported that Equity was targeted as a way to get actors ' addresses . `` We have no evidence to support the claims in today 's Guardian story that Equity was conned into giving out information and we have received no complaints from any of our members that the details we hold on their behalf have been improperly accessed , '' Equity 's letter states . `` We do , however , take the claims very seriously . We will be investigating the alleged breach in our security . ''", "question": "Which celebrities are included in the cellphone hacking ?", "answer": "Gwyneth Paltrow , George Michael and Elle MacPherson"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The chief executives of Ford and GM joined their Chrysler counterpart Tuesday in agreeing to accept salaries of $ 1 a year if Congress comes through with a bailout for the automakers . Alan Mulally , chief executive officer of Ford Motor Co. , has reversed course and will accept a salary of $ 1 a year . The statements came as the Big Three automakers turned in financial plans to Congress , hoping to bolster their requests for $ 25 billion in bridge loans . GM spokesman Steve Harris said CEO Rick Wagoner had agreed to accept a $ 1 salary . Harris did n't elaborate . Ford Motor Company said the salary of its CEO , Alan Mulally , would be cut to $ 1 a year if Ford actually borrowed money from the government . When Mulally appeared before the House Financial Services Committee last month , he said he would not agree to a pay cut . In his previous appearance before Congress , Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli said he would accept a $ 1-per-year salary if it helped Chrysler obtain its share of the rescue package . GM plans to display some of its new high-tech cars on Capitol Hill this week , a GM source told CNN . About two weeks ago , congressional Democrats ordered executives of the three automakers to show that they have viable financial turnaround plans when they return later this week to Capitol Hill . Watch why the Big Three are not all in same situation \u00c2 '' Ford released details of its turnaround plan in a written statement Tuesday . The automaker said that , based on current business planning assumptions , it expects its overall and its North American automotive business pre-tax results to break even or be profitable in 2011 . The company also released initial details of an accelerated vehicle electrification plan for a family of hybrids , plug-in hybrids and battery electric vehicles . The plan includes a Ford full-battery electric vehicle -LRB- BEV -RRB- in a van for commercial fleet use in 2010 and a BEV sedan in 2011 , the statement said . Ford said it plans to invest about $ 14 billion in the United States on advanced technologies and products to improve fuel efficiency during the next seven years . It also said it will sell its corporate aircraft as part of its cash-improvement plan . Speaking to reporters Tuesday , Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid , D-Nevada , said he would not support a bailout package unless the companies could prove that they would be viable after the bailout . Reid did not commit to holding a vote on the bailout package . `` No one is too big to fail , '' Reid said . `` We hope we can work something out with them . '' One of Reid 's aides said the senator had not read the Ford plan yet because he was involved in back-to-back meetings . GM , Ford , and Chrysler already have made sizable cuts in production and staffing throughout the year , with additional cuts expected in the next few months . Their plans were being submitted to the Democratic chairmen of the committees that will hear the automakers ' requests -- Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut , whose Banking , Housing and Urban Affairs Committee convenes Thursday , and Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts , whose House Financial Services Committee meets Friday . Lawmakers asked the automakers to describe how they will restructure their businesses to become more competitive . In general , the automakers have been asked to describe how much money they have , and how much they need to stay viable in the long term . Their plans also must address how the companies will meet health care and pension obligations to workers . After being criticized during their last trip for arriving in Washington in corporate jets , Mulally and Wagoner are driving to the nation 's capital in hybrid cars -- Mulally in a Ford Escape and Wagoner in a Chevrolet Malibu . A Ford executive told CNN the company 's plan , 20 to 30 pages long , was being e-mailed to Congress . He said the plan put a heavy emphasis on advanced technologies . Ford is worried , however , that even after doing a `` bang-up job '' on its report , the company may not receive what it needs , the executive said . The atmosphere in Congress was tense before Thanksgiving , he said , adding that he feels `` automakers have become the whipping boy '' for the industry bailout . Automakers are counting on a rebound in demand by 2010 . But that could turn out to be unrealistic because of an `` auto bubble '' the Big Three helped to create during the past few years . Cheap financing , easy credit conditions and attractive pricing on cars due to overcapacity in the U.S. auto market caused record sales earlier this decade . Experts agree those three conditions are going to be missing for years to come , and sales will be weaker than normal at least through 2011 or 2012 . CNN 's Ted Barrett and Kate Bolduan contributed to this report .", "question": "What kind of novel vehicles are being mentioned here ?", "answer": "hybrids , plug-in hybrids and battery electric"}, {"story_text": "LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Financing for DreamWorks Studios ' partnership with one of India 's richest men was finalized Monday , giving Steven Spielberg and partner Stacey Snider money to resume making movies . From left to right , Steven Spielberg , Anil Ambani , Stacey Snider and Amitahb Jhunjhunwala . The deal with Anil Ambani , chairman of India 's Reliance BIG Entertainment , provides Spielberg 's DreamWorks Studios with $ 875 million , coming from Ambani , the Walt Disney Co. and loans made by a syndicate of banks . Disney will distribute and market about six DreamWorks Studios films around the world each year , with the exception of India , where Reliance will have those rights . Spielberg and Snider found themselves in need of financial partners last year when he cut ties with Paramount Pictures and began rebuilding DreamWorks into an independent studio . Although the deal , which was announced last year , has been characterized in some reports as `` Hollywood meets Bollywood , '' Spielberg and partner Stacey Snider will have creative control over productions . `` This will allow us to move ahead quickly into production with our first group of films , '' Snider and Spielberg said in a joint statement . Reliance BIG Entertainment is part of the Reliance group controlled by billionaire Ambani . `` Our partnership with Stacey and Steven is the cornerstone of our Hollywood strategy as we grow our film interests across the globe , '' Ambani said . `` Given our faith in the business plan that they presented to us and despite the current economic climate , we were always confident that this day would come . Now Stacey and Steven can focus on producing more of the great films for which they are renowned . '' Ambani , whose company owns hundreds of theater screens across South Asia , has also invested development money this year with other Hollywood production companies , including those owned by actors Nicolas Cage , Tom Hanks , George Clooney and Jim Carrey . A DreamWorks announcement said that J.P. Morgan brought together the syndicate of banks to provide about $ 325 million in funding . The banks include Bank of America , City National Bank , Wells Fargo , Comerica , Union Bank of California , SunTrust , California Bank & Trust , and Israel Discount Bank . One of the first movies to go into production will be `` Harvey , '' an adaptation of the play that won a Pulitzer for playwright Mary Chase . The tale about a man and his invisible bunny friend was first made into a movie , starring Jimmy Stewart , in 1950 . Spielberg 's long career as a screenwriter , director and producer has included classic blockbusters `` E.T. : The Extraterrestrial , '' the `` Indiana Jones '' series and `` Saving Private Ryan . ''", "question": "Who is Anil Ambani ?", "answer": "chairman of India 's Reliance BIG Entertainment"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Scientists in Colombia have unearthed the remains of a true prehistoric monster believed to be the biggest snake ever to have lived on Earth . An artist 's impression of what Titanoboa cerrejonensis would have looked like . Named Titanoboa cerrejonensis , the snake would have weighed 1,140 kilograms -LRB- 2,500 pounds -RRB- and measured 13 meters -LRB- 42.7 feet -RRB- nose to tail tip -- dwarfing the largest modern pythons and anacondas which can grow to 6 meters -LRB- 19.5 feet -RRB- . Scientists believe it slithered around the planet between 58 and 60 million years ago . Geologist David Polly , who identified the position of the fossil vertebrae which made a size estimate possible , said in a statement Wednesday : `` At its greatest width , the snake would have come up to about your hips . The size is pretty amazing . `` But our team went a step further and asked , how warm would the Earth have to be to support a body of this size ? '' Titanoboa 's fossilized remains were discovered at a coal mine in the tropical Cerrejon region of northern Colombia by an international team of scientists . `` Truly enormous snakes really spark people 's imagination , but reality has exceeded the fantasies of Hollywood , '' paleontologist Jonathan Bloch , who co-led the expedition , told reporters . `` The snake that tried to eat Jennifer Lopez in the movie ` Anaconda ' was not as big as the one we found . '' Based on the snake 's size , the team was able to calculate that the mean annual temperature in equatorial South America 60 million years ago would have been about 91 degrees Fahrenheit , about 10 degrees warmer than today , Bloch said . `` Tropical ecosystems of South America were surprisingly different 60 million years ago , '' said Bloch . `` It was a rainforest , like today , but it was even hotter and the cold-blooded reptiles were all substantially larger . `` The result was , among other things , the largest snakes the world has ever seen ... and hopefully ever will . '' According to Nature.com , snakes are poikilotherms -LRB- cold-blooded -RRB- that , unlike humans , need heat from their environment to power their metabolism . Therefore research suggests that at the time the region would have had to be no less than 86 to 93 degrees Fahrenheit for the snake to have survived . Most large snakes today live in the tropical regions of South America and south-east Asia , where the high temperatures allow them to grow to impressive sizes . Meanwhile , Carlos Jaramillo -- who was also part of the expedition -- said the tropical rainforest at Cerrejon appeared to have thrived at these temperatures . `` This data challenges the view that tropical vegetation lives near its climatic optimum , and it has profound implications in understanding the effect of current global warming on tropical plants , '' he said .", "question": "where was the snake found", "answer": "in the tropical Cerrejon region of northern Colombia"}, {"story_text": "MEXICO CITY , Mexico -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Mexico has announced plans to raise tariffs on almost 90 U.S. exports , Mexican and U.S. officials confirmed Monday . Mexico 's state-run news agency says tariffs are in retaliation for cancellation of a U.S. trucking project . The new trade measures are in retaliation for the cancellation earlier this year of a U.S. commercial trucking project and will target U.S. industrial and agricultural products delivered to Mexico , Mexico 's state-run news agency said . Mexico 's Economic Secretary Gerardo Ruiz Mateos called the cancellation of the program a breach of the North American Free Trade Agreement -LRB- NAFTA -RRB- , the agency said . White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said the trucking project was killed in the 2009 omnibus appropriations bill , but President Barack Obama has asked his administration to create a new program . `` Congress has opposed the project in the past because of concerns about the process that led to the program 's establishment and its operation , '' Gibbs said . The project allowed a small number of Mexican trucks to enter the United States beyond the normal commercial zones , and allowed some U.S . trucks the same privilege in Mexico . Sen. John McCain , R-Arizona , warned that the Mexican action would harm American businesses . `` Unfortunately , this is a predictable reaction by the Mexican government to a policy that now puts the United States in clear violation of the North American Free Trade Agreement and was inappropriately inserted into the omnibus appropriations bill , '' McCain said after learning of the Mexican government 's plans . McCain said Washington `` must take steps to prevent escalation of further protectionist measures -- actions that only serve to harm American business during these tough economic times when these businesses need a worldwide marketplace to prosper . '' `` This is another reason why the president should have vetoed the omnibus spending bill , '' McCain added . Mexico 's intentions to raise tariffs on U.S. goods `` is an absurd overreaction to the shutdown of the unsafe cross-border trucking pilot program , '' Teamsters President Jim Hoffa said . `` The right response from Mexico would be to make sure its drivers and trucks are safe enough to use our highways without endangering our drivers , '' Hoffa said in a statement issued by the union . `` The border must stay closed until Mexico holds up its end of the bargain . ''", "question": "What did the project allow Mexican trucks to do ?", "answer": "enter the United States beyond the normal commercial zones , and allowed some U.S"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- As the swine flu outbreak escalates across the globe , U.S. travelers returning from Mexico are wondering what to do when they come home . Travelers leaving a Mexican airport fill out questionnaires about their health . On Wednesday , Christine Kovar of San Francisco , California , returned from a vacation to Nuevo Vallarta , Mexico . She said she was n't sure whether she should attend work or stay home . `` I feel fine , '' said Kovar . `` It will be the discretion of my boss whether I go back to work . '' The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta , Georgia , is advising U.S. travelers back from Mexico with at least two of the swine flu symptoms to stay at home and avoid public places upon return . Symptoms of swine flu , also known as 2009 N1H1 , can include a fever , sore throat , cough , chills , headaches and runny nose . People with symptoms should report to a health care provider or local health department and provide itinerary details and symptoms , according to the CDC . If infected , the swine flu is contagious for up to seven days . People who are n't sick should continue to work and use normal precautions like washing hands , according to the CDC . They should monitor their health for seven days . `` As long as they are n't presenting any flu-like symptoms , there is no reason why they ca n't continue to do things that they normally would , '' said Llelwyn Grant , a spokesman for the CDC . Meanwhile , the death toll from swine flu continues to climb . On Thursday , the World Health Organization reported 236 cases of swine flu worldwide . In the United States , the CDC said it confirmed 109 cases of swine flu , or 2009 H1N1 , in 11 states , an increase of 18 from its previous total . On Wednesday , the WHO raised the pandemic threat level to 5 on a six-step scale These numbers are causing alarm among the public , as schools and businesses try to contain the disease and protect the health of others . Some companies are erring on the side of safety , telling employees who returned from Mexico to stay at home for a few days . One university in Pennsylvania barred nearly two dozen students back from Mexico from attending graduation . More than 100 schools across the country have shut down . Greenville County School District in South Carolina shut down on Thursday to clean the buildings and busses when 18 students reported flu-like symptoms after a band trip to Disney World in Florida . School officials are awaiting the test results of the children . `` We are being proactive and trying to take -LSB- the -RSB- right precautions , '' said Oby Lyles , spokesman for the Greenville County School District . Several state health departments such as the New York , where there are 50 confirmed cases , and Kansas , where there are two confirmed cases , said they have n't made state-level advisories yet on whether travelers from Mexico who feel healthy should attend work or not . If travelers are feeling sick , the state departments said travelers should follow CDC guidelines and stay at home . `` If you are n't sick , make sure you are practicing the common sense precautions , '' said a spokesman at the New York State Department of Health . `` Wash your hands . Cover your mouth when you sneeze . '' In addition to advising ill U.S. travelers returning from Mexico to stay confined , government officials are turning to the travel industry for help , particularly air travel . The CDC is advising airline crew members who have arrived from domestic and international areas affected by the swine flu to be on the lookout for ill passengers . Airlines have been advised to stock the planes with gloves and face masks in case of an emergency . The CDC said airline crew members need to ask passengers who appear sick to be quarantined at one of the CDC 's 20 locations across the country . It 's been smooth sailing at U.S. airports , several passengers say . There have been no nationwide questionnaires being issued at the airports , according to a spokeswoman at U.S. Customs and Border Protection yet . In contrast , at some Mexican airports , travelers are asked to fill out forms asking about his or her health , passengers interviewed say . Still , travelers will find warnings about swine flu all over the airport . At O'Hare International Airport in Chicago , Illinois , travel warnings about the flu are being distributed . Signs informing passengers about swine flu , particularly in the international terminal , are posted . As of Friday , the CDC was recommending U.S. travelers avoid all nonessential travel to Mexico .", "question": "Should you go to work if you are returning from Mexico with flu-like symptoms ?", "answer": "stay at home and avoid public places"}, {"story_text": "TUOL SLENG , Cambodia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The trial of a former prison chief with the Khmer Rouge movement resumed inside a packed Cambodian courtroom Monday , with prosecutors painting a grim picture of inmates who were electrocuted , whipped and beaten to death . Duch ran a prison where people were tortured and killed under the Khmer Rouge . Kaing Guek Eav , a former math teacher and a born-again Christian , displayed no emotion as the U.N.-backed tribunal accused him not just of overseeing the torture and killing of more than 15,000 men , women and children three decades ago -- but of actively taking part in some of them . The trial of the 66-year-old man , better known as Duch , resumed Monday just outside the Cambodian capital , Phnom Penh . Spectators , many of them survivors of the abuse , watched the proceedings from an auditorium separated from the courtroom by a large glass window . The proceedings began with Duch offering a basic introduction of himself . Court officials then read out the findings of their lengthy investigation . Prosecutors contend Duch ran S-21 , a prison that had been converted from a school . Here , men , women and children were shackled to iron beds and tortured -- before they were beaten to death , prosecutors said . Many of the victims were military officials or Communist Party members targeted for not going along with the philosophy of the ultra-Maoist Khmer Rouge movement , prosecutors said . Duch faces charges that include crimes against humanity , war crimes , torture and murder . He has admitted his role in the Khmer Rouge 's genocidal reign . Watch why his trial is significant '' The movement swept to power in 1975 . Three years , eight months and 20 days later , at least 1.7 million people -- nearly one-quarter of Cambodia 's population -- were dead from execution , disease , starvation and overwork , according to the Documentation Center of Cambodia . The non-profit organization has been at the forefront of recording the atrocities committed during the Khmer Rouge regime . S-21 was one of 189 similar institutions across Cambodia . Duch is the first former Khmer Rouge leader to stand trial . The tribunal , which is made up of Cambodian and international judges , does not have the power to impose the death penalty . If convicted , Duch faces from five years to life in prison . The trial is expected to last three or four months . `` Probably the most important thing about this court is : even after 35 years , you are still not going to get away with it . That is the message , '' said Chief Prosecutor Robert Petit . Even though Duch was not a senior leader with the movement , many Cambodians were relieved that one of the regime 's former leaders was facing justice , said Youk Chhang , head of the Documentation Center of Cambodia . `` I think there is a feeling of , well you know , finally -- now it 's finally happening after all these years of waiting -- hearing , fighting , negotiating , '' he told CNN last month . `` People have that kind of sense of relief that it 's now moving . When I ask people around the center today , people say , ` Oh , it 's about time . ' '' Four of the regime 's former leaders , also accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity , await trial before the tribunal . The regime 's leader , Pol Pot , died in 1998 . `` It all seems so fresh , '' said Norng Champhal , who was a starving little boy when Vietnamese forces invaded the prison . He was separated from his mother after a night in the prison and never saw her again . `` It 's hard to control my feelings when I see this , '' he said , as he watched footage of the prison taken 30 years ago . `` I wonder whether my parents were tortured like these people , '' he said . CNN 's Dan Rivers contributed to this report .", "question": "What did Duch admit ?", "answer": "admitted his role in the Khmer Rouge 's genocidal reign"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Three U.S. researchers have won the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for solving `` a major problem in biology , '' the Nobel Committee announced Monday . Jack Szostak , from left , Carol Greider and Elizabeth Blackburn will share the $ 1.4 million prize . Elizabeth H. Blackburn , Carol W. Greider and Jack W. Szostak are credited with discovering how chromosomes are protected against degradation -- a field that could shed light on human aging and diseases , including cancer . `` The award of the Nobel Prize recognizes the discovery of a fundamental mechanism in the cell , a discovery that has stimulated the development of new therapeutic strategies , '' the committee said in a news release . The three will share the $ 1.4 million prize . It is the 100th year the prize will be awarded , and the first time that any Nobel in the sciences has gone to more than one woman . The work that won them the prize took place in the late 1970s and early 1980s . It centers on structures at the end of chromosomes called telomeres and an enzyme that forms them , called telomerase . As cells divide , chromosomes need to be replicated perfectly . Work by the researchers determined that telomeres protect DNA from degradation in the process , and that telomerase maintains the telomeres . Though there had been some speculation that the three scientists were being considered for the Nobel , the committee keeps its work top secret -- and all three researchers said they were surprised . Szostak told CNN he got the news in `` that classic early morning phone call from Stockholm . '' He described it as `` surprising and exciting '' -- perhaps particularly for him because he has not worked on the subject for the past 20 years . `` I 've been working on other things , '' he said . `` It started off as a collaboration with me and Liz -LSB- Blackburn -RSB- -- Carol -LSB- Greider -RSB- was a student of hers . '' The work began as `` a long-standing puzzle that we were interested in solving , '' he said . `` It was only over later years that it emerged , through the work of many people , that this was probably important for aging and cancer . '' How it might help fight such diseases is not yet known , Szostak said . `` It will take a while yet for that to be figured out . '' Blackburn and Greider did not immediately return calls from CNN . In a telephone conversation with the editor-in-chief of the Nobel Prize Web site nobelprize.org , Greider said she had been attracted to the field of research because `` it seemed like the unanswered question . '' She also said telomere research has a higher proportion of women than other fields because in its early days , the lead researchers brought women into the field . She called it a situation in which `` you have someone that trains a lot of women and then there 's a slight gravitation of women to work in the labs with other women . '' She added , `` I think actively promoting women in science is very important because the data has certainly shown that there has been an underrepresentation . And I think that the things that contribute to that are very many ... subtle , social kinds of things . '' Blackburn , in a separate conversation posted on the Web site , said the proportion of women in telomere research is `` fairly close to the biological ratio of men and women . '' `` It 's all the other fields that are aberrant , '' she added , laughing . The field of study intrigued her because `` it 's so intricate and complicated , and you want to know how it works , '' she said . Blackburn was Greider 's supervisor at the University of California , Berkeley . Now Blackburn is at the University of California , San Francisco . Greider is a professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore , Maryland . Szostak was previously at Harvard Medical School and is currently professor of genetics at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston , Massachusetts . Married with two children , he told CNN he has `` no idea '' what he 'll do with his portion of the monetary prize -- about $ 467,000 . CNN asked whether he thinks his children , ages 9 and 12 , will suddenly think dad 's work is `` really cool . '' `` Well , '' Szostak said , laughing , `` maybe . '' CNN 's Josh Levs contributed to this report .", "question": "Who will share the $ 1.4 million prize ?", "answer": "Jack Szostak , from left , Carol Greider and Elizabeth Blackburn"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Donald Trump , businessman and CEO of The Trump Organization , knows a little something about money . Donald Trump says President Obama is trying to solve the nation 's economic woes , but it 's `` trial and error . '' Trump spoke with CNN 's Larry King about whether there should be executive pay limits , if there should be a stimulus plan and when there could be an end to the economic downturn . The following is an edited portion of the interview . Larry King : Is Obama right or wrong to go after these executives with salary caps ? Donald Trump : Well , I think he 's absolutely right . Billions of dollars is being given to banks and others . You know , once you start using taxpayer money , it 's a whole new game . So I absolutely think he 's right . King : What about the whole concept of bailouts ? Trump : Well , it 's a little bit different . A lot of people are not in favor of bailouts . You know , we talked about all the different things going on in this country . Let 's face it , Larry , we are in a depression . If they did n't do the bailout , you would be in depression No. 2 and maybe just as big as depression No. 1 , so they really had to do something . The problem is they 're giving millions and billions of dollars to banks and the banks are n't loaning it . If you are a prime customer of a bank and if you need 10 cents , you ca n't get it . The banks are out of business . They 're not loaning . Now , billions of dollars has been given . They 're supposed to be loaning out that money and they 're using it for other purposes , so it is a real mess . King : If you were in the Senate , would you vote for the stimulus plan ? Trump : Well , I 'd vote for a stimulus plan . I 'm not sure that all of the things in there are appropriate . Some of the little toys that they have are not really appropriate , and they 're a little surprising that they seem to want it , because the publicity on it has been terrible . I would certainly vote for a stimulus , but I would really vote for banks having to loan out the money because they 're not doing that . King : In your adult career , have you ever seen it worse ? Trump : No , this is the worst ever . This is the worst I 've ever seen . 1990 was a bad period of time , but this is far worse , and this is worse on a really global basis . I 'm looking at different countries . Every country is bad . Now they 're blaming us because of what happened . You know , why not blame the United States ? But every country is in trouble . King : Can you put the blame anywhere ? Trump : Well , look , it 's something that , to a certain extent , happens . You go up , you go down . You have recessions . If you just look at the charts over the period of 150 years , you 've had good times -LRB- and -RRB- you 've had bad times . Certainly , there 's been a lot of greed . There 's been a lot of stupidity . You know , like I say , today the banks do n't have money , they do n't loan money . But if you went to a bank two years ago and you wanted a $ 300 million loan , they 'd say ` No , we do n't want to do that , but we 'll give you $ 400 million , ' so I guess , to a certain extent , that 's part of the problem . King : If you had the power , if you could wield , what would you do ? Trump : Well , the biggest problem we have is it 's trial and error , Larry . I mean we 've never had anything like this before . It is absolute trial and error . They 're trying . The new president is trying . Bush left him with a mess -- a total mess in many different ways . I really think he 's doing the best he can , but it is trial and error . They try something , if it works , great . If it does n't work -- and the problem is you do n't really know if it 's going to work for quite some time . If it 's really wrong -- and it could be wrong -- we 're going to really have a mess in two years .", "question": "What did Trump say ?", "answer": "President Obama is trying to solve the nation 's economic woes , but it 's `` trial and error"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When I first joined the Navy , I had no idea that I was gay . I was well into my career when I realized this fact , but I was doing well as evidenced by the awards and promotions I was receiving . In addition , I really enjoyed what I was doing and felt I was making a difference . So I opted to continue to serve , even though I knew that I would have to hide my true identity . For most of my career in the Navy , I lived two lives and went to work each day wondering if that would be my last . Whenever the admiral would call me to his office , 99.9 percent of me was certain that it was to discuss an operational issue . But there was always that fear in the back of my mind that somehow I had been `` outed , '' and he was calling me to his office to tell me that I was fired . So many simple things that straight people take for granted could have ended my career , even a comment such as `` My partner and I went to the movies last night . '' Do you think `` do n't ask , do n't tell '' should be reversed ? In spite of the stress of living under `` do n't ask , do n't tell '' and the constant fear of losing my job , somehow my partner , Lynne Kennedy , an openly gay reference librarian at the Library of Congress , and I had learned to deal with the policy and make the requisite sacrifices . I had pretended to be straight and played the games most gays in the military are all too familiar with -- not daring to have a picture of Lynne on my desk , being reluctant to go out to dinner with her , telling her not to call me at work except in a real emergency , not going to church together , avoiding shopping for groceries together and generally staying out of sight of anyone I knew when we were together . I did n't want to have to lie about who Lynne was or have someone conclude that we were more than casual friends . But it was the events of September 11 , 2001 , that caused me to appreciate fully the true impact of `` do n't ask , do n't tell '' on our lives . At 8:30 a.m. on September 11 , I went to a meeting in the Pentagon . At 9:30 a.m. I left that meeting . At 9:37 a.m. , American Airlines Flight No. 77 slammed into the Pentagon and destroyed the exact space I had left less than eight minutes earlier , killing seven of my colleagues . In the days and weeks that followed , I went to several funerals and memorial services for shipmates who had been killed . Most of my co-workers attended these services with their spouses whose support was critical at this difficult time , yet I was forced to go alone . As the numbness began to wear off , it hit me how incredibly alone Lynne would have been had I been killed . The military is known for how it pulls together and helps people ; we talk of the `` military family , '' which is a way of saying we always look after each other , especially in times of need . But none of that support would have been available for Lynne , because under `` do n't ask , do n't tell , '' she could n't exist . In fact , Lynne would have been one of the last people to know had I been killed , because nowhere in my paperwork or emergency contact information had I dared to list her name . This realization caused us to stop and reassess exactly what was most important in our lives . During that process , we realized that the `` do n't ask , do n't tell '' policy was causing us to make a much bigger sacrifice than either of us had ever admitted . Eight months later , in June 2002 , I retired after more than 29 years in the U.S. Navy , an organization I will always love and respect . We are now committed to doing everything we possibly can to get rid of `` do n't ask , do n't tell '' so that our military can finally be open to all qualified and motivated individuals who want to serve their country . As a retired naval officer , I am especially pleased with the leadership that Navy Adm. Michael Mullen , chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , has demonstrated on repeal of `` do n't ask , do n't tell . '' I believe that the end of the policy is in sight . I have every confidence that our military will easily adjust to this change and that with strong leadership , we will ultimately be stronger and better for it . Ironically , it was in the military that I learned to work with people of different backgrounds , different religions , different ethnicities and different skin colors and to focus on getting the mission accomplished . I learned the importance of respecting everyone and judging people on their performance and abilities , not on a preconceived prejudice . Twenty-six countries allow gays to serve openly in their militaries , and from all reports , things are going just fine . This is the right step for our country , our military and for gay people both currently serving and those who would like to be part of the world 's finest military . I have great love and respect for our country , but I know we can do better than `` do n't ask , do n't tell . '' The opinions in this commentary are solely those of Joan E. Darrah .", "question": "What did Darrah pretend ?", "answer": "to be straight"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Security forces patrolled deserted streets in Gabon 's capital as citizens of the west African nation awaited official presidential results amid growing fears of violence , witnesses told CNN on Thursday . Police block supporters of opposition candidate Pierre Mamboundou in Libreville , Gabon . Voters in the oil-rich nation went to the polls Sunday to elect a successor to President Omar Bongo , who died in June after more than four decades in office . Bongo , 73 , was Africa 's longest-serving ruler . His son , Ali Bongo , a candidate for the ruling Gabonese Democratic Party , was one of the main contenders . Local media reports indicated that the younger Bongo had won , but CNN was unable to confirm those results . `` The Gabonese have come out of 42 years of dictatorship ; they do n't care who will be the next president , as long as it is not Bongo , '' Andriankoto Ratozamanana told CNN by phone from the capital , Libreville . `` They want change . They do n't want Bongo , because he is his dad 's son . '' Libreville was deserted because residents had fled to villages for fear of post-election violence , Ratozamanana said . `` The citizens wo n't accept if Ali Bongo wins , because that will mean the government stole the vote , '' Ratozamanana said . The younger Bongo , a former defense minister , was one of 23 politicians originally in the ballot . Several candidates pulled out a few days before the vote to support the opposition , said Archippe Yepmou , a media activist . Bongo , main opposition leader Pierre Mamboundou and former interior minister Andre Mba Obame have all claimed victory . The elder Bongo took power in 1967 , seven years after the country 's independence from France . He imposed one-party rule a year after succeeding the country 's first president , who died in office . He allowed multiparty elections after a new constitution in 1991 , but his party retained its grip on the government despite that . The nation of about 1.5 million has a per capita income four times that of most sub-Saharan African nations , according to the CIA World Factbook . Despite its wealth , which also comes from timber exports , a large percentage of its population lives in poverty because of poor financial management and a huge gap between the rich and the poor . CNN 's Umaro Djau contributed to this report .", "question": "Who is the president to be succeeded ?", "answer": "Omar Bongo"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A 12-year-old west Florida boy apparently struck by a bullet fired skyward during a New Year 's Eve celebration is improving , but remains in serious condition , authorities said Tuesday . Overnight , his condition was upgraded from critical to serious , said Larry McKinnon of the Hillsborough County Sheriff 's Office . The bullet is still lodged in the boy 's head , and doctors are working to control the swelling around his brain . Until the bullet is removed , detectives can not compare it to other bullets to help determine a possible suspect in the shooting , said McKinnon . Diego Duran , 12 , was sitting in the front yard of his Ruskin , Florida , home watching fireworks about 1 a.m. Sunday when he fell to the ground , bleeding from the nose and eyes , McKinnon said . The victim 's mother drove him to South Bay Hospital in Sun City Center , where doctors determined that a gunshot had gone through the top of the boy 's head . The child was then transported to Tampa General Hospital , where he was in critical condition Sunday afternoon . The boy 's mother , Sandy Duran , spoke to reporters Monday about her son . `` His brain is still in that stage of the 48 to 72 hours where it swells . There 's a lot of inflammation going on , so the doctors can not say what he will and wo n't be able to do , '' she said . `` The good news is that he is moving his extremities . He can move his hands . He can move his legs . He has opened his eyes . '' Duran described her son as `` noble '' and said he enjoyed skating and playing guitar . He is the youngest of three children , and her family is taking it `` hour by hour , '' she said . `` For me , it 's a miracle that he 's alive considering what has just happened to him , '' said Duran . No one in the immediate area around the victim 's house was firing a gun , the boy 's relatives and neighbors told detectives . Police believe that celebratory gunfire , possibly shot from miles away , wounded the boy . If the wound is determined to be from a celebratory gunshot , it would not be the first time a child was inadvertently shot in the Southeast on New Year 's Eve and in the hours after midnight . In 2009 , 4-year-old Marquel Peters died after a bullet went through the roof of a suburban Atlanta church and hit him . The boy 's mother , Nathalee Peters , has launched an online effort -- called Marquel 's Pledge -- to urge people not to shoot into the air in celebration . It 's one of several such campaigns nationwide , including one in Miami called , `` One bullet kills the party . '' Duran similarly spoke about the need to educate the public about the dangers of celebratory gunfire . `` I 'm speaking out because I do n't think there 's enough awareness out there , '' she said . `` A firearm is a weapon . It 's a weapon that takes a life . It 's not a toy for celebration . '' CNN 's George Howell contributed to this report .", "question": "where the bullet is lodged", "answer": "boy 's head"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A slightly higher number of Americans will travel Thanksgiving holiday weekend compared with last year , but those traveling by air is expected to decline , AAA said . The association , which surveyed 1,350 American households , projects that 38.4 million Americans will travel over the holiday weekend , up from 37.8 million last year . However , the number traveling by air is expected to decline to 2.3 million , the automobile association said . In 2008 , 2.5 million Americans traveled by plane for Thanksgiving . `` We do this every year , '' said Mindy Potter of Atlanta , Georgia , who was flying with her husband and 6-year-old son . `` It 's insanity every year . '' Potter said she and her family were headed Wednesday to Hot Springs Village , Arkansas , to see her husband 's family . See the FAA 's flight delays map She said they were allowing themselves plenty of time at the airport . `` My husband 's a stickler for going early , '' she said . `` If I was in charge of it , we 'd probably have a frenzied rush . '' AAA said the slight increase in the number of Thanksgiving travelers from last year reflects improved consumer confidence as well as `` a growing sense among many consumers that the worst of the global economic crisis is behind us . '' Travelers are still concerned about the economy , said AAA spokesman Geoff Sundstrom , and the numbers remain well down from two years ago . `` Clearly , there was a huge drop-off in the number of people traveling last year , '' he said . According to the association , Thanksgiving travel dropped 25.2 percent last year , compared with 2007 . Still , Sundstrom added , `` We are encouraged that the numbers have stabilized and turning up from what they were a year ago . '' The bulk of Thanksgiving travelers -- about 33.2 million -- will be traveling by car , AAA said . Jennifer Burrell of Tucker , Georgia , said she , her husband and their two daughters were driving Thursday morning to the Asheville , North Carolina , area , and will return Sunday . She said she was n't expecting traffic on the way there but `` it always gets heavy '' on the return trip . In addition to those traveling by car , some 2.9 million will travel by train , watercraft , bus or a combination of transportation modes , and 2.3 million will travel by air , the automobile association predicted . Citing excess baggage fees and surcharges for jet fuel , along with delays and flight groundings , Sundstrom said that it 's `` not a very friendly environment this decade for the airline industry or the airline traveler . '' As in earlier years , the Federal Aviation Administration said military airspace will be opened to commercial flights along the East and West coasts and in the Southwest in an attempt to alleviate congestion . The airspace will be opened from Tuesday to Monday , spokesman Paul Takemoto said . As of Tuesday afternoon , the FAA Web site was reporting slight delays because of `` weather/wind '' at New York 's LaGuardia Airport . Of course , some Americans are not traveling at all . Heather McKinnon of Broomfield , Colorado , said she is staying home with family for Thanksgiving . `` I do n't like to fly and really rarely like flying on holidays , '' she said , adding that she would consider driving . `` I know what it 's like going through the airport , '' she said . Plus , she added , `` Everything I love is here . ''", "question": "How many americans dos AAA predict will travel over the holiday weekend", "answer": "38.4 million"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Sri Lankan government should immediately release more than 280,000 displaced Tamil civilians living in detention camps , a leading human rights group said Wednesday . Tamil civilians are at Menik Farm refugee camp on the outskirts of the northern town of Vavuniya , Sri Lanka . Human Rights Watch said the displaced Sri Lankans were already victims of a protracted and bloody civil war . Now they are victims again , confined against their will , like criminals , the global watchdog group said . `` Keeping several hundred thousand civilians who had been caught in the middle of a war penned in these camps is outrageous , '' said Brad Adams , Asia director for Human Right Watch . `` Have n't they been through enough ? '' But a Sri Lankan Defense Ministry spokesman said the Human Rights Watch report is overstated , and he defended the government 's handling of the displaced . `` Those are not detention camps , '' said the spokesman , Lakshman Hulugalle . `` They are relief villages . All the basic facilities are being given to the people . '' Sri Lanka declared victory in May in its 25-year battle with the Tamil Tiger rebels , but concerns remain about how the island nation can heal visceral war wounds . The rebels -- formally known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam -LRB- LTTE -RRB- -- waged war for an independent state for minority Tamils in Sri Lanka since July 1983 . As many as 70,000 people were killed in the conflict . With the cease-fire , the question of how to resettle Tamil refugees , many of whom were living among the rebels , has wrought intense criticism of the government from international humanitarian agencies . The United Nations reported that as of July 19 , Sri Lanka was detaining 281,621 people in 30 military guarded camps in the four northern districts of Vavuniya , Mannar , Jaffna and Trincomalee . Human Rights Watch said humanitarian workers are prohibited from discussing abuses or the final months of the ethnic conflict and that camp residents are allowed to leave only for emergency medical care , often only with military escort . In some camps , people have to register with the military twice a day , the rights group said . If they fail , they are subject to punitive measures such as being forced to stand still under the sun for extended periods of time . The group reported health problems created by inconsistent water supply and a shortage of bathroom facilities . But Hulugalle , the Defense Ministry spokesman , said barbed wire around the compounds is a common way to define barriers in Sri Lanka and that military guards were being utilized out of security concerns . The government fears that rebels are hiding in the camps and screening people living in them . `` These are people who were kept for months in LTTE clutches , '' Hulugalle said , referring to the displaced civilians . He said the government has a 180-day plan to resettle most people but that a lot of work was needed in the northern districts as far as rebuilding infrastructure and basic services destroyed in the fighting . The human rights activists say , however , that the government is not working fast enough . Human Right Watch said Sri Lanka 's goal now is only to resettle 60 percent of the refugees by the end of the year . U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Eric Schwartz visited a camp this week in Vavuniya , after which he announced an additional $ 8 million in humanitarian aid for the northern districts . But even in handing out dollars , Schwartz was critical of Sri Lanka 's handling of the displaced . In a statement , he acknowledged that providing food , shelter and medical care for the displaced people was a `` formidable task . '' But Schwartz said the United States remains `` deeply concerned '' about the confinement of people to camps and the hardships they endure within those camps . He also criticized the restrictions placed on humanitarian workers visiting the camps . `` The government of the United States believes the focus now must be on the prompt return of the displaced in safety and dignity , and we want to accelerate this process , '' Schwartz said . In addition to global humanitarian aid , the International Monetary Fund has approved a $ 2.6 billion loan to Sri Lanka to mend the country . Adams of Human Rights Watch said Sri Lanka , in need of global sympathy in its efforts to rebuild , could very well go the opposite way if the Tamil people , once subjugated by the rebels , keep waking up as prisoners of their own state .", "question": "What caused the health problems ?", "answer": "inconsistent water supply and a shortage of bathroom facilities"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The White House released the text Monday of a controversial back-to-school speech to students from President Obama . The uproar over President Obama 's back-to-school speech led the White House to release the transcript Monday . Many conservatives have expressed a fear that the address would be used to push a partisan political agenda . In the text of the speech , however , Obama avoids any mention of controversial political initiatives . He repeatedly urges students to work hard and stay in school . `` No matter what you want to do with your life , I guarantee that you 'll need an education to do it , '' he says . `` This is n't just important for your own life and your own future . What you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country . '' The text of the 18-minute speech was posted on the White House Web site so people can read it before its scheduled Internet broadcast to schoolchildren Tuesday . Read text of Obama 's speech to students -LRB- pdf -RRB- Some of the president 's critics have been adamantly opposed to the idea of an address by Obama to children . `` The president 's speeches tend to be -LSB- about -RSB- what 's wrong with the country and what can we do to fix it , '' said Bill Hogsett , a parent from Dallas , Texas . '' I believe this is the greatest country on Earth , and I try to teach that to my children . ... I do n't want them hearing that there 's a fundamental flaw with the country and the kids need to go forward to fix it . '' Hogsett , who spoke Monday shortly before Obama 's remarks were released , said he wanted to read the speech before making a final judgment . Amy Veasley , another parent from the Dallas area , said she was surprised by the controversy . `` The president of our country wants to call our students to action . I 'm not sure why parents would n't want their students to hear out the leader of our country , '' she said . A Baltimore , Maryland , teacher who asked not to be identified bemoaned the fact that the country has `` become so polarized that we believe that our president is an enemy and not our leader . '' During Bush 's presidency , she said , `` whether I disagreed or not , I still saw him as a leader . '' On Sunday , Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said that parents who are threatening to keep their children home Tuesday to avoid Obama 's speech were being `` silly . '' Appearing on the CBS program `` Face the Nation , '' Duncan emphasized that it is up to school officials whether to include the speech in the day 's activities and that the message of the speech is simply to encourage children to finish school . `` That 's just silly , '' he said of anyone planning to have their kids stay home because of the speech . `` They can go to school . They can not watch . '' The speech is about `` the president challenging young people , '' Duncan asserted . Some school administrators have decided to show the president 's speech , but others will not . Watch CNN 's Ed Henry talk about school speech uproar '' Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty , a possible contender for the GOP 's 2012 presidential nomination , said Sunday that Obama 's speech would disrupt an already-hectic first day of school for many students . `` I think there 's concerns about the disruption , '' he said on CNN 's `` State of the Union , '' calling the scheduling of the speech a `` little ham-fisted '' by the White House . Watch school reject Obama 's speech on education '' `` There -LSB- are -RSB- also concerns about is this going to be done in an appropriate manner . I trust and hope that the White House will have a content that is not political and they 're not using the public school infrastructure for that purpose . '' Duncan , however , noted Obama 's speech is not unprecedented . President George H.W. Bush delivered a nationally televised speech to students from a Washington school in fall 1991 , encouraging them to say no to drugs and work hard . Read text of Bush 's speech to students -LRB- pdf -RRB- In November 1988 , President Reagan delivered more politically charged remarks that were made available to students nationwide . Among other things , Reagan called taxes `` such a penalty on people that there 's no incentive for them to prosper ... because they have to give so much to the government . '' Read text of Reagan 's speech to students -LRB- pdf -RRB- Some of the controversy over Obama 's speech involved a proposed lesson plan created by the Education Department to accompany the address . An initial version of the plan recommended that students draft letters to themselves discussing `` what they can do to help the president . '' The letters `` would be collected and redistributed at an appropriate later date by the teacher to make students accountable to their goals , '' the plan stated . After pressure from conservatives , the White House distributed a revised version encouraging students to write letters about how they can `` achieve their short-term and long-term education goals . '' Duncan said Sunday that the passage was poorly worded . Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich told `` Fox News Sunday '' that Obama 's speech is a good idea if the message is a positive one about completing school . `` It is good to have the president of the United States say to young people across America , ` Stay in school , study , and do your homework , ' '' Gingrich said . Florida Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer last week accused Obama of trying to `` indoctrinate America 's children to his socialist agenda . '' `` Now that the White House got their hand in the cookie jar caught , they changed everything , '' he said Monday . After reading the text , he said , `` My kids will be watching the president 's speech , as I hope all kids will . '' CNN 's Lauren Kornreich and Rebecca Sinderbrand contributed to this story .", "question": "What has Tim Pawlenty tought about school and children ?", "answer": "I believe this is the greatest country on Earth , and I try to teach that to my"}, {"story_text": "Editor 's note : Bob Greene is a bestselling author whose current book is `` When We Get to Surf City : A Journey Through America in Pursuit of Rock and Roll , Friendship , and Dreams . '' Bob Greene says one dentist in Iowa found an ingenious way of keeping his chair filled with patients . -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- You may not have the answer for how to thrive in a lousy economy . I may not have the answer for how to thrive in a lousy economy . But the truck stop dentist figured it out a long time ago . `` When your dental practice is in a truck stop , you do n't have a lot of patients coming in for their six-month cleanings , '' said Dr. Thomas P. Roemer . `` You have people walking in holding their jaws in pain . Treatment is not optional -- they need to see a dentist , and they need to see me now . '' Dr. Roemer 's one-man dental office is inside the Iowa 80 Truckstop , at Exit 284 of Interstate 80 , near the small town of Walcott . The complex proclaims itself to be the world 's largest truck stop , and if you 've never been there -- well , the truck stop itself is probably a story for another time . Suffice it to say that the establishment is spread over 200 acres , that it features its own movie theater , a 300-seat restaurant with a 50-foot salad bar , the Super Truck Showroom -LRB- more than 75,000 truck-related items for sale , festooned with enough gleaming chrome to make you reach for your sunglasses -RRB- . But the topic for today is Dr. Roemer , and how he ended up offering root canals in a building where people stop for diesel fuel . These desperate economic times highlight the importance of individual inventiveness and ingenuity -- and a dentist has to be beyond ingenious to gaze upon an Iowa truck stop and figure out : A fellow could make himself a pretty nice living in there . `` I had a regular dental practice over in Davenport , '' Dr. Roemer , 48 , told me . `` I had an advertisement in the Yellow Pages . And in the early 1990s I noticed that I kept getting calls from truckers who were in a phone booth out by the Iowa 80 Truckstop . They had stopped for fuel , and they were in a lot of pain , and they absolutely had to see a dentist . '' Now ... Walcott , the town adjacent to the truck stop , has only 1,500 residents . But the truck stop itself caters to an estimated 5,000 customers a day , most of them long-haul truckers passing through . The light bulb above Dr. Roemer 's head snapped on . `` I made arrangements with the truck stop to open up an office , '' he said . `` At first I split my practice between my old office in Davenport and the truck stop office . But I ended up closing the old one . My entire practice is in the truck stop now . '' Business is good , he said , even during the recession . There have been stories from around the country about doctors and dentists seeing fewer patients , because people just do n't have the money to come in for regular checkups . But a truck stop dental office is not a place where patients come because they have planned it -- a truck stop dental office is a place where patients come because they need immediate relief . `` The sentence I hear the most often is , ` Do you pull teeth ? ' '' Dr. Roemer said . `` Someone will come in with his hand to his face , and he 'll want to have a tooth extracted . He will have heard that I 'm here . '' But how do truckers learn about Dr. Roemer 's practice ? `` Word of mouth , '' he said . -LRB- So to speak . -RRB- The business model of most dental offices , he said , is based on teeth-cleaning : A dentist builds up his or her list of loyal patients and their families who come in to get their teeth cleaned , and when they need fillings or crowns , the office is there for them . The truck stop dentist , by necessity , turns that business model inside out . `` I usually see a patient once , and then never see him again , '' he said . `` Truckers are n't going to say to me , ` I 'll be back for a cleaning on September 23 at 2 in the afternoon . ' They ca n't plan where they 're going to be . I make patient files for the people who come in , but I know that I 'll probably never have a reason to open the files after they walk out the door . These are mostly one-time patients . '' He does n't have the luxury of knowing , at the beginning of a day , how many patients he will see -- or even if he will see any . `` It can range from zero patients in a day to 15 , '' he said . `` It 's unusual for a patient to call in advance . I 'll know I have a patient when the door opens and a trucker walks in , with that look on his face . '' Dr. Roemer 's success , he said , is based on two factors : the steady flow of those 35,000 people who pull in to the truck stop every week , and the actuarial certainty that some of them will be truckers with a mouthful of hurt . `` I had a guy who came in yesterday who told me he was in such pain that he had tried to pull his own tooth , '' Dr. Roemer said . `` I told him there was no need for that . I told him that I could help him . '' It does get a little lonely out at Exit 284 , not being able to build up a continuing relationship with his patients , the way most dentists do . Sometimes , as a patient is getting up from the chair to leave , Dr. Roemer will find himself saying : `` Make sure you try to get your dispatcher to send you back this way . '' The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Bob Greene .", "question": "What dentist discovered a clever marketing method ?", "answer": "Dr. Roemer"}, {"story_text": "MEXICO CITY , Mexico -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An engine fell off a Mexican government jet before it crashed , killing the second-highest official in the nation , the Cabinet member in charge of the investigation said Saturday . Firefighters at the scene of the crash Tuesday night in Mexico City . Officials also said they have ruled out the possibility that the crash was caused by a bomb . `` There is no trace of explosives on the plane wreckage or the -LSB- crash -RSB- site , '' said Luis Tellez , Mexican secretary of communication and transportation . Interior Minister Juan Camilo Mourino , former deputy attorney general Jose Luis Santiago Vasconcelos and six others onboard were killed in the crash . At least five others on the ground died , and others were reported missing . Officials said 40 people were injured . Camilo Mourino and Santiago Vasconcelos had been instrumental in the war on drugs , leading to widespread speculation among Mexicans that drug lords orchestrated the crash . But Mexican authorities have said there is no indication that foul play was involved . The government Learjet 45 was traveling at 500 kmh -LRB- 310 mph -RRB- when it crashed in central Mexico City as it approached Benito Juarez International Airport . Gilberto Lopez Meyer , Mexico 's director of airports and auxiliary services , said the jet 's left engine fell off when the plane was traveling between 250 and 300 kmh -LRB- 150 to 186 mph -RRB- , according to Mexico 's state-run Notimex news agency . An examination of the wreckage indicates that the engines were functioning at high speed , Lopez Meyer said . Tallez said the day after the crash that the Learjet 45 did not explode in the air because when that happens , pieces of the airplane are scattered over a wide area . But the wreckage in this instance was limited to a small area , he said . Tellez also said Wednesday that the pilot did not report an emergency , Notimex said . A recording released Wednesday of what Mexican officials said was dialogue between the pilot and the airport control tower did not appear to have an emergency call from the aircraft . Officials have vowed to make all aspects of the investigation public . Mexican President Felipe Calderon inspected the crash site Saturday , Notimex said .", "question": "How fast was the jet travelling when its engine fell off ?", "answer": "500 kmh -LRB- 310 mph"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- 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 -LSB- President Bush 's -RSB- 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 -LRB- OSCE -RRB- 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 .", "question": "Who calls for end to fighting ?", "answer": "U.S. , European Union and international security organizations"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A virus found in healthy Australian honey bees may be playing a role in the collapse of honey bee colonies across the United States , researchers reported Thursday . Honey bees walk on a moveable comb hive at the Bee Research Laboratory , in Beltsville , Maryland . Colony collapse disorder has killed millions of bees -- up to 90 percent of colonies in some U.S. beekeeping operations -- imperiling the crops largely dependent upon bees for pollination , such as oranges , blueberries , apples and almonds . The U.S. Department of Agriculture says honey bees are responsible for pollinating $ 15 billion worth of crops each year in the United States . More than 90 fruits and vegetables worldwide depend on them for pollination . Signs of colony collapse disorder were first reported in the United States in 2004 , the same year American beekeepers started importing bees from Australia . The disorder is marked by hives left with a queen , a few newly hatched adults and plenty of food , but the worker bees responsible for pollination gone . The virus identified in the healthy Australian bees is Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus -LRB- IAPV -RRB- -- named that because it was discovered by Hebrew University researchers . Although worker bees in colony collapse disorder vanish , bees infected with IAPV die close to the hive , after developing shivering wings and paralysis . For some reason , the Australian bees seem to be resistant to IAPV and do not come down with symptoms . Scientists used genetic analyses of bees collected over the past three years and found that IAPV was present in bees that had come from colony collapse disorder hives 96 percent of the time . But the study released Thursday on the Science Express Web site , operated by the journal Science , cautioned that collapse disorder is likely caused by several factors . `` This research give us a very good lead to follow , but we do not believe IAPV is acting alone , '' said Jeffery S. Pettis of the U.S. Department of Agriculture 's Bee Research Laboratory and a co-author of the study . `` Other stressors on the colony are likely involved . '' This could explain why bees in Australia may be resistant to colony collapse . `` There are no cases ... in Australia at all , '' entomologist Dave Britton of the Australian Museum told the Sydney Morning Herald last month . `` It is a Northern Hemisphere phenomenon . '' Bee ecology expert and University of Florida professor Jamie Ellis said earlier this year that genetic weakness bred into bees over time , pathogens spread by parasites and the effects of pesticides and pollutants might be other factors . Researchers also say varroa mites affect all hives on the U.S. mainland but are not found in Australia . University of Georgia bee researcher Keith S. Delaplane said Thursday the study offers a warning -- and hope . `` One nagging problem has been a general inability to treat or vaccinate bees against viruses of any kind , '' said Delaplane , who has been trying to breed bees resistant to the varroa mite . `` But in the case of IAPV , there is evidence that some bees carry genetic resistance to the disorder . This is yet one more argument for beekeepers to use honey bee stocks that are genetically disease - and pest-resistant . '' Bee researchers will now look for stresses that may combine to kill bees . `` The next step is to ascertain whether IAPV , alone or in concert with other factors , can induce CCD -LSB- colony collapse disorder -RSB- in healthy bees , '' said Ian Lipkin , director of the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health . Besides the Columbia and USDA researchers , others involved in the study released Thursday include researchers from Pennsylvania State University , the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture , the University of Arizona and 454 Life Sciences . E-mail to a friend", "question": "What disorder has killed millions of bees ?", "answer": "Colony collapse"}, {"story_text": "LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Financing for DreamWorks Studios ' partnership with one of India 's richest men was finalized Monday , giving Steven Spielberg and partner Stacey Snider money to resume making movies . From left to right , Steven Spielberg , Anil Ambani , Stacey Snider and Amitahb Jhunjhunwala . The deal with Anil Ambani , chairman of India 's Reliance BIG Entertainment , provides Spielberg 's DreamWorks Studios with $ 875 million , coming from Ambani , the Walt Disney Co. and loans made by a syndicate of banks . Disney will distribute and market about six DreamWorks Studios films around the world each year , with the exception of India , where Reliance will have those rights . Spielberg and Snider found themselves in need of financial partners last year when he cut ties with Paramount Pictures and began rebuilding DreamWorks into an independent studio . Although the deal , which was announced last year , has been characterized in some reports as `` Hollywood meets Bollywood , '' Spielberg and partner Stacey Snider will have creative control over productions . `` This will allow us to move ahead quickly into production with our first group of films , '' Snider and Spielberg said in a joint statement . Reliance BIG Entertainment is part of the Reliance group controlled by billionaire Ambani . `` Our partnership with Stacey and Steven is the cornerstone of our Hollywood strategy as we grow our film interests across the globe , '' Ambani said . `` Given our faith in the business plan that they presented to us and despite the current economic climate , we were always confident that this day would come . Now Stacey and Steven can focus on producing more of the great films for which they are renowned . '' Ambani , whose company owns hundreds of theater screens across South Asia , has also invested development money this year with other Hollywood production companies , including those owned by actors Nicolas Cage , Tom Hanks , George Clooney and Jim Carrey . A DreamWorks announcement said that J.P. Morgan brought together the syndicate of banks to provide about $ 325 million in funding . The banks include Bank of America , City National Bank , Wells Fargo , Comerica , Union Bank of California , SunTrust , California Bank & Trust , and Israel Discount Bank . One of the first movies to go into production will be `` Harvey , '' an adaptation of the play that won a Pulitzer for playwright Mary Chase . The tale about a man and his invisible bunny friend was first made into a movie , starring Jimmy Stewart , in 1950 . Spielberg 's long career as a screenwriter , director and producer has included classic blockbusters `` E.T. : The Extraterrestrial , '' the `` Indiana Jones '' series and `` Saving Private Ryan . ''", "question": "How much money did Ambani provide for DreamWorks", "answer": "875 million"}, {"story_text": "DUBAI , United Arab Emirates -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The United Arab Emirates has refused to grant a visa to a female Israeli tennis player , preventing her from competing in the Sony Ericsson World Tennis Association Tour in Dubai , the WTA said in a statement Sunday . The UAE has refused to grant a visa allowing Shahar Peer to compete in Dubai . Shahar Peer would have been the first Israeli athlete to participate in a professional sporting event in the UAE , CNN Sports correspondent Pedro Pinto said . The UAE has no diplomatic ties with Israel . Peer told CNN on Sunday evening she was `` very , very disappointed '' to be denied access to the tournament . `` Any player that qualifies should attend , and I was prevented , '' she said from Israel . `` I 'm glad the WTA support me . A red line was crossed for every athlete in the world -- politics should be kept separate from sports . '' The governing body of women 's tennis said it was `` deeply disappointed '' that Peer was being denied entry to the country hosting the tournament , but it did not cancel the competition , which began Sunday . The move runs counter to WTA policy , which says no player should be barred from competing in a tournament for which she has qualified . Dubai could lose its membership in the WTA tour next year over the ban on Peer , according to WTA rules . That would mean professional players could compete only in exhibition matches in Dubai , the results of which would not count in pro rankings . Government officials in Dubai have not responded to CNN 's request to comment over their refusal to allow Peer to compete in the event . `` Ms. Peer has earned the right to play in the tournament , and it is regrettable that the UAE is denying her this right , '' said Larry Scott , chairman and chief executive of the tour . Watch Scott express disappointment '' `` Following various consultations , the tour has decided to allow the tournament to continue to be played this week , pending further review by the tour 's board of directors . '' The patron of the Dubai Tennis Championships is Dubai 's ruler , Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Makhtoum . Two million dollars in prize money is on the line . Al-Makhtoum told CNN in 2004 that Dubai would accept Israeli students to a school dedicated to students from the Middle East who are talented at sports . In 2003 , Dubai hosted World Bank and International Monetary Fund meetings , which Israeli government officials attended . The Israeli flag -- among other member states ' flags -- is still part of a globe monument in Dubai . Peer , 21 , is ranked 48th in the world among female tennis players . She was allowed to compete at the Doha tournament in Qatar last year , where she received a warm welcome , according to Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz . Qatar , another Gulf Arab state , froze diplomatic ties with Israel after Israel 's military offensive in Gaza last month . Peer downplayed the political undertones of her participation in last year 's Doha tournament , telling Haaretz that she did n't come to Qatar `` to help the politics of course . '' But she added that if her playing in the tournament `` can help for peace or anything , I 'd be really happy . '' Scott said the tour will `` review appropriate remedies for Ms. Peer '' as well as `` appropriate future actions with regard to the future of the Dubai tournament . '' Peer was advised Saturday by tournament and WTA officials of the denial of her visa while she was participating in a tournament in Pattaya , Thailand , according to a WTA statement . The Dubai Tennis Championships runs through February 28 .", "question": "Who is Shahar Peer ?", "answer": "Israeli tennis player"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Several large circus tents previously used by Cirque du Soleil are on their way to Haiti to be used as a temporary headquarters for the Port-au-Prince government , according to the man donating them . The self-contained tents would replace government buildings destroyed a month ago by the devastating earthquake that killed at least 200,000 people , Nevada real estate developer Tom Schrade said Thursday . An urgent effort is under way to provide shelter for in Haiti , ahead of the rainy season expected to hit the island nation at the end of March . Much of the government is operating in small tents or cramped quarters in buildings that survived the January 12 earthquake . Schrade , who bought the tents after Cirque du Soleil retired them , said his wife got the idea to donate them while they were watching coverage of Haiti relief efforts . `` It seemed like a good thing to do , '' Schrade said . The tents have 33,000 square feet of interior floor space , including heating and air conditioning systems , interior and exterior lighting , toilets and 900 padded chairs , Schrade said . Thirteen steel shipping containers hold the 400,000 pounds of cargo , he said . `` Even the shipping containers can serve as apartments , '' Schrade said . After an aide to the Port-au-Prince mayor confirmed the government would welcome the tents , Schrade said he called Barron Hilton -- the son of Hilton hotel founder Conrad Hilton -- for help in getting them from storage in Reno , Nevada , to Haiti . The Conrad Hilton Foundation , already involved in Haiti relief projects , agreed to finance the shipment , he said . Gregory Anderson , the international project manager for the Hilton Foundation , confirmed its participation . The William J. Clinton Foundation -- the former U.S. president 's nonprofit group -- will coordinate getting the big tents to Port-au-Prince , he said . Full coverage of the earthquake 's aftermath A convoy of tractor-trailer trucks left Reno Monday night with the tents bound for the port of Miami , Florida , he said . They 'll be loaded onto a ship chartered by the Clinton Foundation next week for the voyage to Port-au-Prince , he said . Technicians hired by Schrade will travel there to supervise the set up , he said . iReport : Looking for loved ones in Haiti The tents , which initially cost about $ 5 million , were first used by Cirque du Soleil at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas a decade ago . They also spent time at a Myrtle Beach , South Carolina , theme park before Schrade bought them with the idea of using them at a Reno hotel , he said . The economic downturn derailed Schrade 's plan to use the tents at a hotel in Reno , he said . Cirque du Soleil is a Canadian-based traveling circus based on street performance art .", "question": "Who is the Neveda real estate developer ?", "answer": "Tom Schrade"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- Entertainment Weekly -RRB- -- It could n't top its predecessors , but `` X-Men Origins : Wolverine '' still brought in quite a haul , grossing an estimated $ 87 million for the opening weekend of the summer movie season . Hugh Jackman stars as the title character in `` X-Men Origins : Wolverine . '' The Hugh Jackman pic brought in a strong $ 21,225 per-theater average in 4,099 movie houses , despite generating mixed reviews . The film fell $ 15 million short of 2006 's `` X-Men : The Last Stand '' but it is still an enormous success for Jackman and director Gavin Hood . Matthew McConaughey 's `` Ghosts of Girlfriends Past '' generated an estimated $ 15.3 million for a second place bow . It 's not a shabby opening but it is far less than McConaughey 's previous romantic outings including last year 's `` Fool 's Gold '' -LRB- $ 21.6 million -RRB- or 2006 's `` Failure to Launch '' -LRB- $ 24.2 million -RRB- . -LRB- Perhaps women were too busy checking out all those hunky mutants this weekend ? -RRB- The two new openers did help the industry maintain its year-over-year increase of 16 percent . Also aiding that statistic was Beyonce Knowles ' `` Obsessed . '' Dropping a not-surprising 57 percent for its second weekend in theaters , the thriller earned another $ 12.2 million to put its ten-day gross at a shockingly strong $ 47 million . And Zac Efron 's `` 17 Again '' showed surprising stamina , too , grossing an additional $ 6.3 million its third weekend for a total take of $ 48.4 million . The other new wide release for the weekend was the anemic 3-D animated sci-fi film `` Battle for Terra . '' Opening on 1162 theaters , the Justin Long , Evan Rachel Wood-voiced feature proved to be little competition for the other 3-D movie in the marketplace . Dreamworks Animation 's juggernaut `` Monsters vs. Aliens '' grossed another $ 5.8 million its sixth weekend for the fifth slot in the rankings , while newcomer `` Terra '' could n't muster more than $ 1 million for a twelfth place in the box office derby . Summer has officially begun -- at least in Hollywood -- so expect a giant event film every weekend . Wolverine may have bowed mightily but with `` Star Trek '' hot on its heels next weekend , the Marvel superhero is going to need more than adamantium to maintain its box office lead . CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly", "question": "How much did `` Monsters vs. Aliens '' earn ?", "answer": "5.8 million"}, {"story_text": "BEIJING , China -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Every day , tens of thousands of fertilized hen eggs are delivered to Sinovac laboratories in Beijing . Each egg is infected with the H1N1 virus , then incubated for three days . White-coated employees examine every egg individually before the virus is extracted and used to make a vaccine . Vials of H1N1 vaccine before they are labeled and packaged . Sinovac Biotech Ltd. was the first company in the world to successfully complete clinical trials for an H1N1 vaccine . It was also the first company approved by the Chinese government to produce millions of doses for the public . China is set to become the first country to begin mass inoculations sometime around the beginning of October . According to Sinovac CEO Yin Weidong , the secret lies in years of vaccine research and development . Sinovac was the first and only company ever to create a vaccine for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome -LRB- SARS -RRB- , the worldwide pandemic that left almost 350 people in China dead . The SARS vaccine was never used . By the time it was discovered , the outbreak had subsided . However , the breakthrough has enabled Sinovac to stay ahead of the curve . Watch as the H1N1 vaccine is produced '' `` The SARS vaccine helped us achieve the H5N1 -LRB- bird flu -RRB- vaccine , which helped us get the H1N1 vaccine , '' says CEO Yin Weidong . `` That 's why we could be so fast and be the first . '' Since Sinovac 's success , at least two other Chinese companies and several around the world have also produced H1N1 vaccines . China has reportedly ordered 3.3 million vaccines from Sinovac , 4 million from Hualan Biological and another 3 million from the Shanghai Institute of Biological Sciences . According to Yin , the main challenge for China will be providing enough vaccines for everyone . `` A country with 1.3 billion people needs 1.3 billion vaccines , '' he says . Watch report on China 's inoculation preparations '' The Chinese government has long warned an outbreak of H1N1 could be catastrophic in a massive country with an underdeveloped health system . In recent weeks , the instances of H1N1 infections have risen dramatically throughout the mainland . There have been more than 9,000 cases of the H1N1 virus in China so far , and more than half of them have happened in the last few weeks alone . `` It 's basically affected all provinces of China and we 're worried because of the sheer number of people involved , '' says Vivian Tan , communications director for the World Health Organization in China . `` It 's moving from the urban and coastal areas into more rural remote areas . '' According to the WHO , the rapid acceleration of H1N1 is occurring in part because flu season is starting , the weather is cooling down and school is back in session . More than 80 percent of China 's swine flu cases have occurred in schools or due to school-related activities . China has had perhaps the most extreme and active response to the virus than any other country in the world . For months , masked Chinese officials have boarded international flights upon arrival , checking all passengers ' temperatures and administered health surveys before granting entry . Thousands have been quarantined , including entire flights and school groups . Health authorities have heavily publicized the risks posed by the virus and rolled out a Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment plan , as an alternative to the vaccines produced by Sinovac and others . Yet , some Chinese citizens remain skeptical that a vaccine is even necessary in the first place . `` It does n't seem like my baby is going to catch the swine flu , '' says one mother at a hospital in central Beijing . `` And what if it affects his health in the future ? I 'm just going to avoid crowded areas . '' Like any vaccine , the WHO has warned the H1N1 vaccine may have negative side effects . Sinovac plans to track and test patients for several years after vaccinations are administered to determine if there are any dangers . Ultimately , in China , the central concern remains that the H1N1 virus itself could expand and spin out of control . According to Tan of the WHO , `` I think one of our biggest fears is that -LRB- the H1N1 virus -RRB- could re-assort with the H5N1 avian flu virus that 's out there , to create this ` superbug ' which is both easily transmissible , quite lethal and quite deadly . ''", "question": "What will Sinovac Biotech produce ?", "answer": "Vials of H1N1"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Every dog has his day , but Sir Lancelot -- or at least his carbon copy -- has a second one . Edgar and Nina Otto show off 10-week-old Lancey , a clone of `` the most human of any dog we 've ever had . '' A Boca Raton , Florida , couple paid a California firm $ 155,000 to clone their beloved Labrador retriever , who died from cancer a year ago . The clone , a 10-week-old puppy dubbed Lancey , was hand-delivered to them earlier this week by Lou Hawthorne , chairman of BioArts International , a biotechnology company . `` One minute with Lancey and you know he 's special . He 's both extremely aware and very sweet , '' Hawthorne said in a BioArts statement . Edgar and Nina Otto said they began thinking about cloning Sir Lancelot about five years ago . `` I said ` Well , you know , it would n't hurt to have his DNA frozen , ' and that 's what we did , '' Nina Otto told CNN affiliate WPBF . The Ottos were one of five families to bid and win a BioArts auction for a chance to clone their family dog , according to a BioArts statement . Lancey is the world 's first commercially cloned dog , the company said ; the Ottos are the first of six current clients to receive their clone . Sir Lancelot 's DNA sample was sent to the Sooam Biotech Research Foundation in Seoul , South Korea , which provides cloning services to BioArts . Researchers there put the DNA into an egg , and Lancey was born November 18 , according to BioArts . The Ottos said they have had many beloved dogs over the years -- and have nine others currently -- but maintain Sir Lancelot was special . `` Sir Lancelot was the most human of any dog we 've ever had , '' Edgar Otto said in the BioArts statement . `` He was a prince among dogs . '' In an interview with WPBF , Edgar Otto said Sir Lancelot `` was a very , very , very special dog to us . And we 've given a lot more to the Humane Society than we 've ever spent on this project . '' Watch the Ottos talk about Lancelot and Lancey '' For its part , the Humane Society of the United States says it 's against the commercial cloning of animals . `` Given the current pet overpopulation problem , which costs millions of animals their lives and millions in public tax dollars each year , the cloning of pets has no social value and in fact may lead to increased animal suffering , '' the organization said on its Web site . `` For those looking to replace a lost pet , cloning will not create an animal identical to the one who is gone ; cloning can not replicate an animal 's uniqueness . Cloning can only replicate the pet 's genetics , which influence but do not determine his physical attributes or personality . '' The Ottos , however , said replicating Sir Lancelot 's genetics is enough for them . Edgar Otto said he realizes Lancey might not be just like their departed dog , but `` if he 's different , we 're not going to love him any less . '' Edgar Otto is the son of the late Edwin Otto , who was part of the founding of NASCAR and a `` motorsports pioneer , '' according to www.ottomotorsports.com .", "question": "what is Lancey the world 's first", "answer": "commercially cloned dog"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- After months of stalemate , the Senate late Tuesday passed a huge government spending bill that includes billions of dollars requested by President Bush to continue the war in Iraq . White House officials have said President Bush would sign off on the spending plan if the Iraq money was added . The roughly $ 555 billion bill -- which passed 76-17 -- also preserves thousands of earmarks for lawmakers who will deliver them to constituents just in time for the holidays . The final vote came at about 11 p.m. ET Tuesday -- after hours of debate that included two more attempts by Senate Democrats to tie war funding to a plan to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq . Those efforts failed , as have dozens of others in the House and Senate since Democrats took control of Congress last year . Earlier , members voted to add $ 40 billion for the war in Iraq that had been removed by the House -- which passed the spending bill on Monday . The plan also includes $ 30 billion for troops in Afghanistan . Sen. Joe Lieberman , an independent from Connecticut who co-sponsored the push to reinstate the Iraq money , called its approval `` a very powerful bipartisan message of support for our men and women serving in Iraq . '' White House officials have said Bush would sign the spending plan if the Iraq money was added . In the weeks leading up to the vote , Bush had repeatedly pushed members of Congress to approve a military spending bill that did not place troop-withdrawal requirements on the military in Iraq . The bill wraps together 11 of the 12 government spending bills for 2008 -- except for that of the Department of Defense , which was already funded . Facing a president determined to keep spending in check and a unified Republican minority in the House and Senate , Democrats have been stymied at nearly every turn in their attempts to increase spending on their domestic priorities . Fearing a politically dangerous government shutdown , Democratic leaders ultimately gave in to Bush 's top line number and trimmed $ 22 billion from the measure . But Democrats stemmed their losses somewhat by shifting some funding from the president 's priorities to their own . And they added billions more above Bush 's top line in `` emergency '' funding for veterans health care , California fires , border security and more . The government spending watchdog group Taxpayers for Common Sense , which scrambled Monday to pore over the nearly 1,500-page bill that was made public late Sunday night , said it has identified almost 9,000 earmarks worth $ 7.4 billion . Many of the earmarks avoided normal congressional scrutiny and were `` airdropped '' -- or slipped in without going through normal committee consideration -- into the final bill , the group said . But Sen. Robert Byrd , D-West Virginia , chairman of the budget-writing appropriations committee , said the spending plan represents a dramatic decrease in pork-barrel projects from the one approved by Bush two years ago -- when Republicans controlled Congress . `` The total dollars that are earmarked is reduced -- hear me now -- by 43 percent , '' Byrd said Tuesday from the Senate floor . `` That ai n't chicken feed . '' Arguing for a plan that would have begun pulling troops from Iraq within 90 days , Sen. Edward Kennedy , D-Massachusetts , became emotional as he called the Bush administration 's efforts in Iraq `` a continuing quagmire . '' `` The best way to end this charade and protect our troops and our national security is to put the Iraqis on notice that they need to take responsibility for their future , '' Kennedy said . `` Unless there 's a binding timeline for the redeployment of our troops , the Iraqis will not feel the need to make the compromises essential for a political solution . '' The measure now goes back to the House for approval in its revised form . House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she expects the bill to pass the House , although she will vote against it because of the war funds added in the Senate version . E-mail to a friend CNN 's Ted Barrett contributed to this report .", "question": "What number roughly of dollars was the budget passed ?", "answer": "555 billion"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The military is investigating a `` shocking and deplorable '' YouTube video that seems to show a Marine throwing a puppy off a rocky cliff . YouTube.com removed the video for violating the Web site 's terms of use . The black-and-white puppy makes a yelping sound as it flies through the air . `` That 's mean , that was mean , '' one companion says off-camera , addressing the alleged puppy thrower by his last name . The fate of the animal is not known . The Marine is identified on the video and in other Internet postings as a lance corporal stationed at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe . It 's not clear where the video was shot , although the man who appears to throw the puppy and another Marine are in full combat gear with helmets . YouTube.com had taken down the video by 12:30 p.m. ET Tuesday `` due to terms of use violation , '' according to a banner on the Web site . `` This is a shocking and deplorable video that is contrary to the high standards that we set for every Marine , '' Marine Corps spokesman Maj. Chris Perrine said at a news conference Monday night . `` We will investigate this and take appropriate actions , '' Perrine said . Watch other Marines and civilians react to the video '' He said the Marine is being kept safe in view of the anger over the alleged incident . Perrine added that the majority of Marines conduct themselves honorably . `` There are many examples of Marines who adopt pets and bring them back from Iraq and demonstrate their compassion on a daily basis , '' he said . If the video is deemed legitimate , the lance corporal could face a charge of conduct unbecoming a Marine , Perrine said . There could be administrative action , nonjudicial punishment or a court-martial , he added . `` It 's all governed by the Uniform Code of Military Justice , and anything from reduction in pay to reduction in rank to confinement to discharge from the Marine Corps '' is possible , Perrine said . If others are involved , they too will be disciplined , he said . `` Certainly , there 's a lot of outrage , and a lot of people are upset about it . I think every Marine is upset about this video , '' he said . `` We hope that it turns out not to be what it looks like . '' E-mail to a friend", "question": "What is not known ?", "answer": "The fate of the animal"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- With President Barack Obama limiting how and where detainees at Guantanamo Bay can be interrogated , some analysts are asking if intelligence agencies will be able to get the information they need to keep the country safe -- and where the prisoners will eventually end up . President Barack Obama recently ordered the closing of Guantanamo Bay detention facility . Fresh off his inauguration , Obama issued executive orders relating to Guantanamo , including one requiring that the detention facility be closed within a year . During a signing ceremony at the White House on January 22 , Obama reaffirmed his inauguration pledge that the United States does not have `` to continue with a false choice between our safety and our ideals . '' The president said he was issuing the order to close the facility in order to `` restore the standards of due process and the core constitutional values that have made this country great even in the midst of war , even in dealing with terrorism . '' At its peak , Gitmo held 770 people the U.S. government believed may have been involved in terrorist activity or military action against the nation . The facility drew sharp criticism , including from Obama as he campaigned for the presidency . Human and legal rights advocates complained that many Gitmo detainees were being held indefinitely without charge . There were a handful of reports of mistreatment of detainees and Obama , among others , said the facility was not an effective way to deal with alleged enemy combatants or gather good intelligence . With the closing of Gitmo and secret overseas CIA prisons , future detainees may stay in foreign custody . Those countries might not have the same constraints on interrogations , and they could share what they learn or let U.S. intelligence sit in . Watch more on the Gitmo dilemma '' `` While you 're able to say that you do n't have U.S. secret prisons , in effect , you may be able to get the benefit through your relationship with foreign intelligence services , '' said CNN national security contributor Frances Townsend , who served as President Bush 's national security adviser . But some say it 's the mere image of closing Gitmo that will help U.S. relations around the world . `` Guantanamo is an extraordinary debilitating symbol in the United States and the United States ' standing in the world community . Closing it makes good sense , '' Charlie Swift , a former naval defense attorney , said on CNN 's `` State of the Union with John King , '' on Sunday . But Douglas Feith , who helped shape the Bush administration 's terrorism policy , downplayed that notion . `` I do n't think that it 's much more than a symbolic decision , '' he said . `` The real issue is whether we can make sure that the extremely dangerous people that we 're holding at Guantanamo can continue to be held so they do n't engage in terrorism in the future . '' That issue was raised last week amid a new report by the Pentagon -- released days before Obama took office -- which said 18 former detainees are confirmed to have participated in attacks , and 43 are suspected to have been involved in attacks . Watch more on where Gitmo prisoners may go '' But security experts are questioning information released by the Pentagon , saying 61 former detainees from Gitmo may have returned to terrorist activities . That figure would be about 11 percent of the roughly 520 prisoners who have been released from the Guantanamo facility . But in a briefing Thursday , Secretary of Defense Robert Gates -- an advocate for closing Guantanamo while serving under Bush and , now , under President Obama -- seemed to downplay the number of former detainees who have returned to fighting . `` It 's not as big a number if you 're talking about 700 or a thousand or however many have been through Guantanamo , '' he said . On Friday , a Pentagon spokesman defended the integrity of the report but would not directly answer questions about where the figures come from . `` We do n't make these figures up . They 're not done willy-nilly , '' spokesman Geoff Morrell said . Pentagon officials said they would not discuss how the statistics were derived because of security concerns that such information could give clues to how U.S. intelligence officers collect their data . CNN learned some former Guantanamo detainees have returned to the fight . An al Qaeda video viewed by CNN 's Nic Robertson showed militants labeled with their former prisoner numbers . Saeed Shihri , Prisoner No. 372 , is believed to have been responsible for an attack on the U.S. embassy in Yemen that killed nearly a dozen people in September , barely a year after he was released from Guantanamo . CNN 's Susan Candiotti , Ed Hornick and Jeanne Meserve contributed to this report .", "question": "Have former Gitmo detainees returned to terrorism ?", "answer": "61 former detainees from Gitmo may have returned to terrorist activities"}, {"story_text": "PRETORIA , South Africa -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The president of Athletics South Africa has admitted that he lied about gender tests on runner Caster Semenya before her gold-medal win at the World Athletics Championships last month . Caster Semenya celebrates her gold at the world championships in Berlin . The national sports body has always denied that it agreed to the tests before the race in Berlin , Germany -- an event that kicked off international controversy over the 18-year-old Semenya 's gender . But after South Africa 's Mail & Guardian newspaper printed e-mails on Friday showing that ASA President Leonard Chuene was aware of the tests , he held a news conference to apologize . `` I now realize that it was an error of judgment and I would like to apologize unconditionally , '' Chuene said on Saturday , according to South Africa 's SAPA news agency . After receiving the results of the tests , the South Africa team doctor requested the 18-year-old Semenya be withdrawn from the 800-meter race she ended up winning , Chuene said . But Chuene said he refused to do it because the sport 's international governing body did not request withdrawal . He also said withdrawing Semenya might have looked bad . `` If we did not let her run , we would be confirming that she is not normal , '' Chuene told the news conference in the capital , Pretoria . The e-mails printed by the Mail & Guardian are an exchange between team doctor Harold Adams and ASA General Manager Molatelo Malehopo , with Chuene copied in . `` After thinking about the current confidential matter I would suggest that we make the following decisions , '' Adams wrote on August 5 , more than a week before the Berlin race . `` 1 . We get a -LRB- gynecological -RRB- opinion and take it to Berlin . 2 . We do nothing and I will handle these issues if they come up in Berlin . Please think and get back to me ASAP . '' An e-mail response from Malehopo to Adams , sent the same day , says : `` I will suggest that you go ahead with the necessary tests that the IAAF might need . '' The controversy over Semenya erupted after she crushed her rivals in the 800 meters and secured victory in one minute , 55.45 seconds -- the best women 's time in the world this year . Semenya 's masculine build and dominant performance fueled existing questions about her gender , and the International Association of Athletics Federations -- which oversees the sport worldwide -- ordered tests on her . Reports in two newspapers last week said the results of the tests showed Semenya has both male and female characteristics . The IAAF declined to confirm those reports and said a decision in the case would come in late November . The IAAF said it sought tests on Semenya 's gender before the Berlin championships because questions had been raised after her winning performance at the African junior championships in July . South Africans have rallied behind Semenya , angrily dismissing reports about her gender . Semenya 's relatives and the South Africa team manager have maintained she is female . This week , South Africa 's minister for women , children and people with disabilities wrote to the United Nations to complain that Semenya had not been treated in line with international protocols on gender and quality . Noluthando Mayende-Sibiya sent a letter to the U.N. Division for the Advancement of Women , urging it to investigate , SAPA reported . `` The questioning of her gender is based on a stereotypic view of the physical features and abilities attributable to women , '' she wrote in the letter , according to SAPA . `` Such stereotypes demonstrate the extent of patriarchy within the world 's sporting community . '' The process of gender verification has undergone big changes since it was first introduced for international competition in the 1960s , the IAAF said . The first mechanism involved `` rather crude and perhaps humiliating physical examinations , '' which soon gave way to mouth swabs to collect chromosomes . There were too many uncertainties with mouth swabs , so the IAAF abandoned them in 1991 and the International Olympic Committee discontinued them in 2000 . A proper test has yet to be found , the IAAF said , and the current tests are considered a good interim solution .", "question": "What did the President of Athletics admit ?", "answer": "that he lied about"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The owner of a North Carolina beach house where seven college students died in a weekend fire said Monday that his family 's `` lives were just changed forever '' by the tragedy . Chip Auman said his 18-year-old daughter survived the fire but was hospitalized and in stable condition because of complications from smoke inhalation . `` The thought of losing a child is unimaginable to me , and as a father my heart goes out to the families that lost a loved one in this situation , '' he said . Auman said the situation was `` hard to fathom . '' `` There 's just no words to describe what we 've been going through , '' he said , asking for prayers for survivors and the families of those who died . `` We 're numb , we 're confused , we 're heartbroken . '' Two college campuses mourned Monday . Six University of South Carolina students and a Clemson University student died in the fire early Sunday morning in Ocean Isle Beach , North Carolina . Six other South Carolina students were able to get out of the house in time . The six were treated and released from nearby Brunswick Community Hospital , but Auman 's daughter was hospitalized again in Hartsville , South Carolina . Authorities from the state Bureau of Investigation and the federal Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives are leading the investigation into the cause of the fire . Ocean Isle Beach Mayor Debbie Smith said the house was `` engulfed '' in flames when the fire department arrived on the scene , about five minutes after being notified . The flames shot into the sky and ultimately left little more than portions of the framing . Fire officials do not believe foul play was involved . Watch a neighbor 's video , fears of fast-burning fire '' Dennis A. Pruitt , the vice president for student affairs for the University of South Carolina , said investigators have said it would be Tuesday or Wednesday before the identities of the victims are confirmed publicly . It could be as much as a month until investigators know the cause of the fire , Pruitt said . The university did not cancel classes on Monday , but Pruitt said arrangements had been made for those who need to go home or stay out of class at the 28,000-student campus . Pruitt said meetings had been held Sunday with members of Delta Delta Delta sorority and Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity . The South Carolina students were affiliated with those houses , he said , although he stressed that the weekend was not an official Greek function . He also said counselors and ministers were available to help students deal with the loss of their classmates . The university president , Dr. Andrew Sorenson , contacted the families of those who died in the fire to express the condolences and support of the university community . Jay Laura , student president of the USC chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon , said the campus would pull together after the tragedy . `` If any place can come together to help in the healing process and the aftermath of an event like this , it is South Carolina , '' Laura said at a Monday afternoon press conference . Fire survivor Tripp Wylie , a 20-year-old South Carolina sophomore , said he jumped out of a third-story window into a canal to escape the flames and was unable to get back in to help his friends . `` I could see a buddy of mine off to the left who had gotten out . He was just yelling at me to jump and stuff , '' Wylie told CNN affiliate WYFF . `` The smoke was pouring out , could n't really breathe , so I had to make a quick decision . -LSB- I -RSB- just kind of leaned out the window and luckily I jumped far enough to make it into the canal . '' Neighbors flocked to see the fire as firefighters battled and ultimately got the blaze under control . See the scenes of devastation '' George Smith , who lives across the street from the house , said he heard sirens between 6:30 and 7 a.m. and went outside to see `` the whole sky lit up . '' `` The whole house was completely engulfed in flames , up to about 20 feet , '' he said . `` I have never seen -LSB- a fire -RSB- move so fast . '' George Smith said the house 's occupants were `` partying in there yesterday and into the night . '' After about 10:30 p.m. Saturday they quieted down , he said . Linda Sing said she was walking her dog when she saw the fiery destruction . She noted that firefighters had saved an adjacent house by spraying it down with water . `` We knew there were people in there , but we hoped and prayed they 'd gotten out , '' Sing said . `` This is the worst thing I 've ever seen . We 've had hurricanes , but this is worse . '' Ocean Isle Beach is a popular resort destination along North Carolina 's southern coast . The year-round population of the 7-mile-long island is about 425 , but it swells to about 25,000 during the summer season , according to the town 's Web site . E-mail to a friend", "question": "Which family member was among six survivors hospitalized ?", "answer": "18-year-old daughter"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Jury selection began Monday in Kentucky for the trial of a former high school coach charged with reckless homicide in the heat-exhaustion-related death of a player . Pleasure Ridge Park football coach Jason Stinson has pleaded not guilty to reckless homicide . A grand jury in January charged Pleasure Ridge Park football coach Jason Stinson in the death of Max Gilpin , 15 , who collapsed during a practice in August 2008 and died several days later . Stinson pleaded not guilty and was released without bail . The school has reassigned him to non-teaching duties . The case has stirred strong feelings beyond the Louisville suburb where Gilpin died . Some say the teen 's death was a tragic accident ; others insist it was the result of a criminal act . `` The best example I can give you is like someone shooting into a building not knowing anyone is in there , then killing somebody , '' Commonwealth 's Attorney R. David Stengel told CNN affiliate WHAS in January . `` They did n't know they were in there , but they should have known that shooting into a building where people normally are is something dangerous . '' Current and former students reacted with shock to the indictment of Stinson , a beloved coach and teacher . `` Coach is amazing , '' former player Casey Ford told WLKY earlier this year . `` Coach truly cares about his players . '' Stengel said investigators interviewed almost 100 players , eight coaches , school officials and bystanders before the grand jury convened earlier this year . A summary of the interviews was provided to the grand jury . The grand jury denied Stinson 's request to give testimony . Questions surrounding the case include what school officials did before and after the high school sophomore collapsed . Craig Webb , the school 's athletic director , said in a deposition obtained by WLKY that he witnessed the incident and went over to assess Gilpin 's condition . `` He was breathing , '' Webb said during the deposition , WLKY reported . `` You know , he had a pulse . And we -- I automatically thought we might have had an exhaustion situation . He was sweating profusely . '' Gilpin 's body temperature reached 107 degrees , officials say . Witnesses said Stinson had denied the student water on the hot August day , WLKY reported . Gilpin was taken to a hospital where he later died . The parents have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against six coaches at the school . The suit claims they were negligent in their actions and that more than 20 minutes passed between the time Gilpin collapsed and the time one of the coaches called paramedics , according to WHAS . Stinson is the only person who has been charged with a crime . Days after he was charged , Stinson told supporters , who had gathered on his lawn to pray , that his `` heart is broken . '' `` Part of my life has been taken away , '' he said , according to WHAS . `` I no longer teach , and I no longer coach at the school that I love . ... `` The one thing people keep forgetting in this is that I lost one of my boys that day , '' he said . `` It was a boy that I loved and a boy that I cared for and a boy that meant the world to me . That 's the thing that people forget . And that 's a burden I will carry with me for the rest of my life . '' Gilpin 's parents have released a statement saying they hope they will gain access to details of the investigation , including information they believe school officials have withheld from them citing confidentiality , the affiliate said . `` We intend to closely monitor the prosecution and expect anyone responsible for Max 's death to be held accountable , '' the statement said , according to WHAS .", "question": "What was the temperature at the August '08 practice ?", "answer": "107 degrees"}, {"story_text": "BOSTON , Massachusetts -LRB- CNN/IN Session -RRB- -- A German man who called himself Clark Rockefeller and passed himself off for years as a member of the moneyed clan was sentenced Friday to four to five years in prison for kidnapping his daughter . The man who said he was Clark Rockefeller actually is Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter . Earlier in the day , a jury of eight women and four men found Christian Carl Gerhartsreiter , 48 , guilty of the kidnapping and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon . Judge Frank M. Gaziano noted that Gerhartsreiter showed little regard for the impact his actions had on his former wife and daughter . He said he also considered the defendant 's long history of deceptive and manipulative behavior , including the use of multiple aliases . Gerhartsreiter already has spent a year in jail , meaning that with credit for good behavior he could spend just another year or two in prison . Gerhartstreiter , who was born in Germany and is in the U.S. illegally , faces removal by immigration authorities when he completes his sentence . In addition , his lawyer said , authorities in Los Angeles , California , have convened a grand jury to investigate his possible role in the 1985 deaths of a couple who rented a carriage house to him . The defendant stared straight ahead as the judge announced the sentence . He was equally impassive when the jury returned its verdicts . Watch the verdict '' The jury rejected Gerhartsreiter 's insanity defense , but found him not guilty of two lesser charges after deliberating for 26 1/2 hours over five days . He faces up to 15 years in prison . A sentencing hearing was set to begin at 2 p.m. ET . `` Today the victims in this case have some sense of justice , I hope , '' said Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley `` We are very happy with today 's verdict . We 're very happy with the jury . '' After announcing the verdict , all 12 jurors returned to the courtroom and delivered a prepared statement . `` This was a complicated case , and not as clear-cut as it might have seemed to those who followed it in the media , '' the jurors ' statement said `` We are confident that our verdict is fair and just , and based only on the information we were legally allowed to consider , '' it continued . `` Our verdict is a unanimous one , as the law requires , and all of us stand by the verdict completely . '' The jurors said the terse statement was their final word on the case . They did not take questions . The case has attracted international attention because of the defendant 's bogus claim to be related to the Rockefellers , one of America 's wealthiest families . He fooled even his wife of 12 years , who said on the witness stand that she had `` a blind spot '' for a man who charmed her , then controlled her and bullied her . Prosecutors said Gerhartsreiter came to the United States from Germany in 1978 as a student . They said he is a con man who has been telling fanciful tales and misrepresenting himself ever since . The defense said he has long suffered from mental illness that boiled over into insanity when he abducted his 7-year-old daughter , Reigh , last summer . The jury heard closing arguments and legal instructions before retiring for deliberation Monday . `` This is not a man playing with a full deck , '' said Jeffrey Denner , one of two lawyers who gave closing arguments for the defense . According to testimony from defense experts , Gerhartsreiter believed his daughter was in danger . He also believed they could communicate telepathically and shared a secret language . `` You see him descending into madness , '' Denner said . `` You see completely irrational action that other people are buying because of the name Rockefeller and the appearance , the veneer , of respectability with a powerful wife . '' The defense called two experts who , he said , spent 28 hours with the defendant before diagnosing him as having a narcissistic personality disorder and grandiose delusions . Prosecutor David Deakin called the insanity diagnosis `` preposterous . '' He argued , `` This is not a case about madness . It 's a case about manipulation . '' He described Gerhartsreiter as a controlling man who was angry that his former wife , Sandra Boss , had moved with their daughter to London in December 2007 . According to testimony , Boss , a Harvard business school graduate and senior partner at McKinsey & Co. , a global management consulting company , took full custody of the child , giving her ex-husband $ 800,000 , two cars , her engagement ring and a dress he had bought her . She said she believed the fanciful stories her husband wove around his image as Clark Rockefeller and never saw any sign of mental illness . Denner asked how a successful businesswoman who was educated at Stanford and Harvard universities and made $ 1 million a year could fall for an impostor . `` There 's a big difference between intellectual intelligence and emotional intelligence , '' Boss explained . `` I 'm not saying I made a very good choice of a husband . It 's obvious I had a pretty big blind spot . '' `` He told compelling stories , '' she said . `` It seems stupid in hindsight , and it really was , but that is how it was . ... I lived with a person who told me a set of internally consistent things . '' `` I was completely traumatized , '' Boss said of the abduction . `` I was hysterical . ''", "question": "How long did the jury deliberate ?", "answer": "26 1/2 hours"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A new flow of oil emerged from BP 's damaged undersea well in the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday evening after a remote-controlled submarine successfully cut into the well 's riser pipe . BP used robots in its latest attempt to curtail the flow of crude from the largest spill in U.S. history , which spread to barrier islands off Alabama and Mississippi on Tuesday . When the robot submarines cut into the undersea well 's riser pipe , a fresh spew of oil temporarily obscured the view of the mechanical arm . The cut was a first step toward placing a cap over the well that has spewed hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico every day since late April . BP expects to make more cuts to the riser before bringing in a diamond saw to make a clean cut where the cap will be fitted . Doug Suttles , the company 's chief operating officer , told CNN 's `` John King USA '' that the procedure should collect the `` vast majority '' of the oil if it succeeds . `` We 'll be putting the cap assembly , loading that out and sending it to the sea bed later tonight , '' Suttles said . `` We should be able to install this tomorrow . And hopefully by late tomorrow or Thursday , we should have this thing operating . '' But the operation carries the risk that the flow of crude from the ruptured well could increase by up to 20 percent once the damaged riser is cut away . The job already has been complicated by pipework around the well that has had to be removed before massive metal shears could be brought to bear Tuesday evening , Suttles said . The gusher may not be shut down until August , when BP expects to complete relief wells that will take the pressure off the one now spewing into the Gulf . The 5,000-foot-deep well erupted after an explosion and fire aboard the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig on April 20 . The rig sank two days later , taking 11 men with it and leaving up to 19,000 barrels -LRB- 798,000 gallons -RRB- of oil pouring into the Gulf , according to federal estimates . After fouling sections of Louisiana 's marshes over the past two weeks , the oil was spreading toward the northeast on Tuesday . Tar balls and patches of reddish-brown `` weathered '' oil came ashore on Dauphin Island , Alabama , south of Mobile , and on Mississippi 's Petit Bois Island , off Pascagoula , authorities reported . Oil hits Alabama , Mississippi barrier islands More than a dozen miles offshore , researchers from the Dauphin Island Sea Lab reported seeing more rust-colored swaths of oil spattering the surface of the Gulf . They ranged from the size of half-dollar coins to 30 or 40 feet long , said John Dindo , the laboratory 's associate director . BP 's handling of the spill has been sharply criticized by members of Congress , officials in the Gulf states and the Obama administration , which announced Tuesday that a criminal investigation of the spill was under way . In addition , federal officials will no longer hold joint news briefings with the company , the administration announced . Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen , the government 's point man on the spill , will now become the face of the response effort . Allen told reporters in New Orleans , Louisiana , that his job is to speak `` very frankly with the American public . '' Rear Adm. Mary Landry , who has been the Coast Guard 's on-scene coordinator for five weeks , will be returning to her duties as chief of the service 's New Orleans district office . Allen praised Landry 's work leading `` an anomalous and unprecedented response '' to the spill , but said Landry now needs to focus `` on the larger array of threats '' to her district -- including this summer 's Atlantic hurricane season , which began Tuesday . In Louisiana , Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser warned that a hurricane in the area could drive more oil ashore . `` We do n't want to scare anybody , but we need to be realistic about it , '' Nungesser said . `` If a storm does top out levees , it will probably bring oil with it . '' He said residents who evacuate ahead of a hurricane might return `` not to a flooded home , but to a home that is completely contaminated with this oil . '' Oil spill darkens hurricane fears Tuesday also marked the start of the recreational fishing season for red snapper , a big draw for sport anglers in the region . But the season opened with a new blow to the region 's fisheries industry as the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration extended its restrictions on fishing to almost a third of the Gulf . The closures extend southward to a point about 240 miles west of the tip of Florida and eastward to federal waters off the Alabama-Florida state line . The state of Mississippi announced a closure of some of its inland waterways to fishing after oil was found in the area . The closed area includes areas east of 88 degrees , 40 minutes west longitude , and south of the CSX Railroad , but not including Graveline Bayou and its tributaries . After a meeting with state attorneys general and federal prosecutors from Louisiana , Alabama and Mississippi , U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder told reporters that the Justice Department was looking at possible criminal violations in connection with the spill . Justice Department launches investigation `` If we find evidence of illegal behavior , we will be forceful in our response , '' Holder said . `` We have already instructed all relevant parties to preserve any documents that may shed light on the facts surrounding this disaster . '' In a statement issued in response to Holder 's announcement , BP said it would cooperate with any inquiry , `` just as we are doing in response to the other inquires that are already ongoing . '' Suttles told CNN that there have been `` very few differences '' between company and federal officials working to cut off the spill . `` This is a team that 's really all aligned on the same goals and has been since the beginning , '' he said . `` The government clearly presses us very hard to make sure we 're responding as quick as we can . We 're moving things forward , we 're applying all the resources that we need to apply . But I would stress at the working level , those differences are really quite small . '' BP , rig owner Transocean Ltd. and oilfield services company Halliburton have blamed each other for the disaster . But BP , as the well 's owner , is responsible for the costs of the cleanup under federal law , and Suttles said the company has now spent more than $ 1 billion to clean up the oil . BP stock has taken a beating on Wall Street , plunging on Tuesday after the failure of last week 's `` top kill '' attempt to close the well . The company 's stock value is down more than a third since the spill began . CNN 's David Mattingly , Tracy Sabo , Patrick Oppmann , Scott Bronstein and Aaron Cooper contributed to this report .", "question": "Where has the oil spill spread to ?", "answer": "barrier islands off Alabama and Mississippi"}, {"story_text": "NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- American radio talk-show host Michael Savage said he wants an apology from Britain 's home secretary and his name removed from a list of people banned from entering the United Kingdom . American radio talk-show host Michael Savage calls the British government 's description of him `` demented . '' `` I 've heard from British attorneys who are salivating to set the record straight and win quite a large settlement should she not remove my name from the list , '' Savage said in an interview broadcast Thursday on CNN 's `` American Morning . '' Savage was referring to Home Secretary Jacqui Smith , whose office recently excluded 22 people from entering the country because the government feels they have been `` stirring up hatred . '' The British government has cited Savage -- who is on the list under his real name , Michael Alan Weiner -- for `` seeking to provoke others to serious criminal acts and fostering hatred which might lead to inter-community violence . '' Savage has made controversial statements against homosexuality , illegal immigrants from Mexico and Islam . He said that `` borders , language and culture is the real message of ` The Savage Nation , ' '' his radio talk show . `` I 'm a patriotic American , and if that 's a crime in England , God help us all , '' he said . Watch as Savage says he wants to clear his name '' Savage 's daily radio show does not air in Britain but is broadcast nationwide in the United States . Savage rejected the British government 's description of him , calling it `` a demented attitude . '' `` She lumped me in with known murderers and terrorists , people who have been in prison for killing people , '' Savage said of Smith . `` I 've been on the air for 15 years , three hours a day , five days a week . I have never , ever promoted violence . There has never been one violent incident attached to my show . '' Smith has said she is determined to keep those who `` spread extremism , hatred and violent messages '' out of the country . `` Coming to the UK is a privilege , and I refuse to extend that privilege to individuals who abuse our standards and values to undermine our way of life , '' Smith said . `` Therefore , I do not hesitate to name and shame those who foster extremist views , as I want them to know that they are not welcome here . '' The Home Office has named 16 people on the list , saying it was not in the public interest to disclose the names of the other six . Included on the list are :", "question": "What is Savage 's occupation ?", "answer": "radio talk-show host"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Barcelona and Manchester United are on course to meet again in the money-spinning European Champions League final after they avoided each other in the draw for the last eight . Josep Guardiola 's reigning champions Barca will face English Premier League side Arsenal in the quarterfinals -- a repeat of the 2006 final which the Spanish club won 2-1 . French striker Thierry Henry played for Arsenal in that game but has since joined Barca . Henry remains Arsenal 's all-time leading goalscorer . The draw for the quarterfinals of the tournament took place at the headquarters of European football 's governing body -LRB- UEFA -RRB- in Nyon , Switzerland where the match-ups for the semifinals were also decided . United will win the Champions League ... I feel it in my bones Alex Ferguson 's Manchester United were drawn against Bayern Munich , who they famously beat in the 1999 final . Bayern went in front after just six minutes of the final in Barcelona but United scored two injury time goals to stun the German side . Dutch coach Louis van Gaal is attempting to secure Bayern Munich 's first European crown since 2001 , after they knocked out Italian side Juventus in the group stages . Jose Mourinho 's Inter Milan are playing first time quarterfinalists CSKA Moscow . The Italian champions dumped Mourinho 's former club Chelsea out of the competition earlier this week . There is no country seeding at the last eight stage , which led to Lyon and Bordeaux being drawn together . Their tie means France is assured a representative in the last four . The Champions League is the most lucrative tournament in world football with the final worth an estimated $ 421 million , according to sponsors Mastercard , with the winners earning close to $ 150 million . The quarterfinal ties will take place the week beginning March 29 . In the Europa League draw English Premier League team Liverpool were drawn against Portuguese club Benfica . There is an all-Spanish tie in the last eight after Atletico Madrid and Valencia were drawn against each other . If Liverpool get past Benfica they will face one of the Spanish teams in the semifinal , meaning either an emotional return for striker Fernando Torres to former club Atletico , or for manager Rafael Benitez to the team he used to coach , Valencia . Juventus ' conquerors Fulham were drawn against German champions Wolfsburg while Hamburg pulled Belgian side Standard Liege .", "question": "How much money is the final expected in economic term ?", "answer": "421 million"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When Maggie Sorrells looks at her husband , Andy , she does n't see the man she married . In fact , most days , she does n't even recognize herself . Maggie and Andy Sorrells weighed 440 pounds and 505 pounds , respectively , at their heaviest . Before the Franklin , Tennessee , couple met online , both had endured lifelong struggles with weight and emotional overeating . Together , they had a combined weight of nearly 1,000 pounds . Maggie , who had a family history of heart disease and diabetes , had been warned by her doctor at the age of 27 that she would n't live to see 30 . But her real moment of truth came when she visited her mother in the hospital . `` The biggest shock of my entire life was stepping on a hospital scale and realizing I weighed 440 pounds , '' she recalls . Until that moment , Maggie says she never knew how much she weighed , because she was too heavy to register on a household scale . Andy , like Maggie , tried countless diets but failed to keep the weight off . At his heaviest , he was 505 pounds and had to have most of his size 64 clothing made by his mother to fit his 6-foot-3-inch frame . See before-and-after photos of CNN.com I-Reporters '' Obesity took an emotional and physical toll on the couple . Andy says people constantly teased him about his weight and he eventually withdrew . He battled depression and took anti-depressants for seven years . Maggie , on the other hand , tried to conceal her misery by making other people laugh . `` I was so depressed and so miserable . I was always the funny fat girl , but on the inside I was miserable , '' recalls Maggie . `` It held me back in many ways and I started to accept it as being genetic and felt this was just the way I was going to be . '' Though she never let her obesity keep her from traveling or socializing , it had affected her quality of life . Maggie had to use a seatbelt extension on airplanes and was once asked to get off a roller-coaster at an amusement park . In August 2002 , the couple was married and they soon made a decision that would forever change their lives . Before getting married , a friend introduced Maggie to The Weigh Down Workshop , a faith-based weight loss program , which teaches people to conquer their addiction to food , as well as other substances and vices , by turning to God . Maggie says she was never consistent or committed enough to stick with the program . But shortly after their wedding , the couple started packing on the pounds and while Andy tried another diet , Maggie gave Weigh Down another try . `` At the end of 2002 and the beginning of 2003 , I called Weigh Down and started taking the classes , '' says Maggie . `` My whole life , I had always wanted somebody to -LSB- lose weight -RSB- with me . But I knew if I wanted it bad enough , I would have to do it alone . '' She began to lose weight . `` I ate whatever I craved , but only when I was truly hungry and then I ate a lot more slowly , so I could tell when to stop , '' Maggie says . In February 2003 , after seeing his wife 's results , Andy stopped counting calories , gave up the low-fat foods and reduced his portion sizes . Fifteen months later , he had lost 257 pounds . `` Once I started this program , it changed my outlook on my entire life . I realized that being happy is a choice . I can either be filled with hate and despair or I can be happy , '' says Andy , who realized he no longer needed the anti-depressants . Maggie 's weight loss was more gradual . Shortly after starting the program , Maggie became pregnant with the couple 's first child . Sadly , she lost the baby when she was seven months pregnant . `` Many of our family members were afraid that we would turn back to food after we lost our first daughter , since we had turned to food to solve our problems our whole lives , '' remembers Maggie . Faith , she says , helped her overcome the loss and continue on the program . Three years later , she had not only lost 300 pounds but she also gave birth to another daughter , Lily . Last week , the couple welcomed their son , Jacob . How has the weight loss changed their lives ? Maggie , who now weighs 140 pounds and wears a size six , and Andy , who weighs 220 pounds and wears a size 36 , say they had no idea their lives could be this good . `` It blows my mind that we look the way we do , '' says Maggie . The couple shares their success and strategy for weight loss by leading online classes for Weigh Down . Maggie believes if just one person 's life can be changed by her story then her struggle will have been worth it . `` I want people to know there is hope . I looked for hope my whole life , '' says Maggie . `` I want that person who is just like the old me to look at where I am now and know that you want to be here ! '' iReport.com : Have you lost weight ? Send your story , photos and video E-mail to a friend", "question": "What was the combined weight of Maggie and Andy Sorrells ?", "answer": "nearly 1,000 pounds"}, {"story_text": "BALTIMORE , Maryland -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Kim Mickens , 49 , has always been the caregiver among her eight brothers and sisters . So when her mother , Delphine Mickens , was told she had Alzheimer 's disease , Mickens took care of all the arrangements for her mother 's care -- among them , she chose a nursing home not far from her place in Baltimore . Kim Mickens , right , moved her mother , Delphine , in with her after unsuccessful stints at two nursing homes . But Mickens did n't like the way her mother was treated , so she moved Delphine to a second facility . That one did n't work out either . Mickens eventually concluded that the only way Delphine was going to receive acceptable care was to move her mother in with her . Moving Delphine into her house was n't so easy : She needed medical equipment including a wheelchair , medication and round-the-clock care . `` She ca n't walk , '' Mickens says . `` So we bathe her , we feed her , we do everything for her . '' Because Mickens works two jobs , she also needed someone to provide in-home care . Because Delphine is in her 80s , Medicare covers a lot of the costs -- but Mickens did n't know where to start ; the logistics were overwhelming . Medicare personnel helped her get some of the medical supplies she needed and also recommend a new Web site called Ask Medicare . Designed to give easy access to people taking care of elderly relatives , Ask Medicare provides information and links to services that are important to caregivers . Mickens says it was invaluable . `` The Web site tells you how to get Medicare assistance , '' she says . `` It also gives you information on how to contact people that you need to get the equipment and supplies for your parents . '' The Department of Health and Human Services says at least 44 million Americans provide care for a chronically ill , disabled or elderly family member or friend . Of those family caregivers , 7 percent -- like Mickens -- provide 40 hours or more of care a week . The new Web site designed by HHS is meant to be a navigational tool for caregivers -- for whom time is valuable -- that cuts through all the bureaucratic red tape . Listen to Kim Mickens talk about caring for her mother '' `` We call it a GPS for Medicare , '' says Rima Cohen , a special adviser at HHS . `` It 's meant to make information readily available , and presented in a format that is easy to understand . '' According to the Center on an Aging Society at Georgetown University , family caregivers provide approximately 80 percent of long-term care services in the United States . `` We know that family caregivers are really the backbone of a long-term care giving system in the U.S. , '' says Cohen . `` You might be surprised to note that about $ 375 billion worth of services are provided by family caregivers -- if they were paid . '' So helping the caregiver is key . Watch more on the Ask Medicare Web site '' Mickens says she first used the Web site to set up the living space for her mother . Through a social worker and Ask Medicare , she ordered a special bed , supplies , a new wheelchair , and even filled Delphine 's prescriptions . Because Delphine had previously suffered two strokes , she could n't walk -- a very big problem , since Mickens lives in a two-story home . But through the site , she was able to order an elevator chair that takes Delphine up and down the stairs . Now that her mother is settled comfortably in her daughter 's home , Mickens says she needs some emotional support and `` me time . '' That 's not unusual : A study in the American Journal of Public Health finds family caregivers who provide 36 or more hours of care per week are more likely than noncaregivers to experience symptoms of depression or anxiety . Mickens found support in a chat room that was linked to Ask Medicare . `` The Web site has helped me read other people 's stories , '' she says . `` And now I know I 'm not going through this by myself . '' Today , Mickens and her mother are a loving twosome . When Mickens is at work , she leaves Delphine with an in-home nurse and relies on her son to help out when he gets home from school . Mickens finally feels content about the quality of care her mother is getting , and she says it would have never happened so quickly had she not found the Ask Medicare Web site . `` I have no problems with it : Once I punch it in , it comes up and takes me out to all the different Web sites , '' say Mickens . `` It 's very helpful . I am glad they came up with it . ''", "question": "What is the number of Americans who care for chronically ill , disabled and elderly family members ?", "answer": "least 44 million"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Your saliva is doing all kinds of useful things for you all the time -- for instance , helping you chew and taste food . It 's also home to more than 600 species of bacteria , which are harmlessly enjoying the moisture of your mouth . There 's a slew of bacteria floating around in your mouth , but it 's generally harmless . Since people have different eating habits in different places , you might think an American 's saliva might look a lot different from , say , a South African 's . But a new study published in the journal Genome Research finds that bacteria in saliva may not be as related to environment and diet as you might think . In fact , researchers found that the human salivary microbiome -- that is , the community of bacteria in saliva -- does not vary greatly between different geographic locations . That means your saliva is just as different from your neighbor 's as someone 's on the other side of the planet . `` It was somewhat surprising to us , because in our sampling we did n't control for diet , or environment , or anything like that , '' said Mark Stoneking of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig , Germany , and co-author of the study . Now , Stoneking and colleagues are trying to figure out why . One theory is that since the researchers looked only at the genus of the bacteria in question , they might find more differences at the level of individual species . They are investigating this in a follow-up study . Stoneking became interested in surveying the bacteria of saliva when he learned that saliva contains more DNA than blood , if you include DNA of bacteria and other organisms . Human blood , as you might guess , still contains more human DNA than saliva . Researchers took saliva samples from a total of 120 healthy subjects . The countries represented in this sample were Germany , Poland , Turkey , Georgia , China , Philippines , South Africa , Republic of the Congo , Argentina , Bolivia and the United States . This was the first global survey of bacteria diversity in human saliva . The most common type of bacteria found in the survey of saliva was Streptococcus , Stoneking said . People typically have Streptococcus in their mouths living benignly , although certain species are responsible for diseases such as strep throat , meningitis and bacterial pneumonia . Why do you need hundreds of bacteria species in your mouth ? It turns out they 're mostly not helping you at all -- you 're just giving them a warm , moist home . `` Having those bacteria -- that 's the price we have to pay for having a lot of saliva in the mouth to begin with , '' said Nate Dominy , anthropologist at the University of California , Santa Cruz . Dominy , who has studied enzymes in saliva , found the results surprising , and said no one had previously surveyed the variety of bacteria in saliva . What else is inside saliva ? One component of saliva that has been shown to vary according to diet is amylase , the only digestive enzyme that converts starch into sugar , Dominy said . Amylase is also found in the pancreas and the small intestine . The human body evolved to start the digestive process early , in the mouth , so we can maximize the amount of sugar that we take in , Dominy said . `` Given that we have such large brains , and our brains are metabolically very demanding tissues , they 're extremely costly and expensive to maintain , so we need a lot of sugar , '' he said . Americans in particular have a lot of amylase in their saliva because their diets are full of starch : chips , rice and baked potatoes . But the Pygmies of central Africa , for example , eat mostly game animals , honey and fruit . They have relatively little amylase in their saliva . Dominy and colleagues found these differences at the genetic level , meaning natural selection has favored large quantities of amylase in populations with starchy diets . But there is also evidence that amylase levels can rise and fall within an individual 's lifetime . A study on college students in Ghana , who typically eat a lot of meat at the university , found that students who had grown up eating traditional starchy Ghanaian home-cooked meals had lower levels of amylase after attending the school . Humans have had starch as an important part of their diet for at least 12,000 years , since the advent of agriculture , he said . So what else is spit good for ? Saliva spreads molecules to the taste receptors on the tongue so you can tell whether something is salty , sour , sweet or spicy , Dominy said . It also helps soften food and spread it to your teeth so that you do n't have to chew as hard . Compared with other animals , humans are not very good at detecting toxins , he said . As a result , humans vomit much more than other species , and saliva buffers the acid that results from throwing up -- meaning you 'll likely salivate immediately beforehand to limit the damage . `` A lot of the value of saliva is attributable to the fact that , in human evolution , we 've had to eat marginal plant foods , things that are marginal in quality and full of toxins , and we need these particular salivary adaptations to help cope with those types of food , '' he said .", "question": "Where are your taste receptors ?", "answer": "on the tongue"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Jennifer Schuett did n't know it , but the DNA of the man suspected of attacking her in 1990 was sitting in an FBI database for at least 13 years , just waiting for a connection to be made . Dennis Earl Bradford , a 40-year-old welder , was arrested after DNA allegedly tied him to the crime . She was 8 and had been abducted from her room , raped and left for dead in a field . All she knew about the man who kidnapped her was that he called himself Dennis . His DNA was found on underwear left behind , but the sample was too small at the time to get a match . Schuett helped police create a detailed sketch of the man who attacked her . CNN normally does not identify victims of sexual assaults . But Schuett decided to go public with her story and her name to increase the chances of finding and prosecuting her attacker . For nearly two decades , there were no answers . But with technological advances , authorities were able to retest the small sample of the attacker 's DNA last year . With those results , a suspect would be found -- and it would all be because he was convicted for an eerily similar crime . Dennis Earl Bradford , 40 , was arrested Tuesday in connection with Schuett 's abduction and attempted murder . Authorities believe he was the man who kidnapped Schuett from her Dickinson , Texas , home , choked her , dragged her from his car and slashed her throat in 1990 . Watch the sketch artist 's memories of Schuett at 8 '' Years later , Bradford was arrested for a similar crime , court records show . On April 16 , 1996 , Bradford walked into Gator 's Bar in Garland County , Arkansas , and offered to buy a woman a beer . They played pool for a while until she was ready to leave , and he offered her a ride . He wanted to spend more time with her , so he asked if she wanted to ride around in his car for a while and listen to an Ozzy Osbourne tape , the woman told police , the documents show . About 20 to 30 minutes later , he said he wanted to show her some property . According to the court documents , he stopped the car , began choking her and beat her in the head . `` He dragged her from the car into the woods and threw her to the ground , '' according to the court documents . They go on to say that he beat her and choked her again , at one point knocking her unconscious , she told police . He stripped her naked and put a knife to her throat . Bradford told her `` he was going to kill her , that he was going to put the knife in her eye and was going to cut her jugular , '' court documents show . Then , according to the documents , he raped her . He ordered her to stay still , gave her a towel to clean herself up and took her to a nearby creek and helped her finish bathing , court documents said . As they got back into the car and drove toward the Oaklawn Race Track , he said again that he had planned to kill her , the court documents show . This time , she asked him why he did n't . She told police he said he got scared . Bradford began apologizing repeatedly , the victim said , until he stopped the car at the track and let her out . That 's when she turned and saw his license plate as he drove off into the distance . When Bradford was arrested in 1996 , police took his DNA , which was entered into the FBI database . It remained there for years , until technology would catch up . A Garland County Circuit Court jury found Bradford guilty of kidnapping but was not able reach a verdict on the rape charges . Arkansas corrections officials said Bradford entered prison in march 1997 , facing a 12-year-sentence , and was paroled in February 2000 . In March 2008 , in Houston , Texas , FBI Special Agent Richard Rennison , Dickinson Police Department Detective Tim Cromie and a Galveston sheriff 's deputy met to discuss Schuett 's 1990 case . Cromie asked if the FBI could see if new methods of DNA testing might help find a match for Schuett 's attacker . In July 2008 , the evidence from Schuett 's attack was sent for analysis , and on September 22 , 2009 , authorities say they received word there was a match . The FBI lab informed them that the DNA in the attacker 's underwear matched Bradford 's DNA profile . Bradford was arrested Tuesday morning on his way to work in Arkansas . He appeared in court in Little Rock on Wednesday and waived extradition to Texas . Attorney Mark Jesse , who represented Bradford at the hearing , said plans were in place to fly him to Texas later in the day . Earlier , the FBI said Bradford would arrive in Texas as early as Wednesday night and no later than Friday . Though it may have taken 19 years to find a suspect , Schuett 's story came full circle this week with Bradford 's arrest . `` I hope that my case will remain as a reminder to all victims of violent crime to never give up hope ... '' she said . `` With determination and by using your voice to speak out , you are capable of anything . ''", "question": "How long did Bradford 's DNA sit in a database before connection was made ?", "answer": "least 13 years"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Every week , Jackie Kaminer of Roswell , Georgia , buys fish for dinner at the local market . Although she knows it 's full of nutrients -- including good-for-your-heart omega-3 fatty acids -- she 's careful of the types of fish she brings home . Jackie Kaminer contemplates fish choices ; she buys only `` safe '' fish , like salmon , haddock and tilapia . Her concern ? Mercury and the dangers it poses to her children . So , she sticks to certain varieties : salmon , cod , tilapia and haddock are `` safe fish , '' but she stays away from swordfish , sea bass and tuna . As a mother of three , Kaminer should be concerned . Released into the atmosphere by industrial pollution , mercury contaminates water systems -LRB- and soil -RRB- when it rains . As fish feed on one another , the mercury stores up in their bodies . The toxic metal affects the nervous system . And although studies have shown large amounts of mercury can also affect fertility and blood pressure , and possibly cause memory loss in adults , it 's particularly dangerous to young children and fetuses . According to the American Academy of Pediatrics , during the first several years of life , a child 's brain is still developing and absorbing nutrients . Prenatal and infant mercury exposure can cause poor mental development , cerebral palsy , deafness and blindness . Even in low doses , mercury may affect a child 's development , delaying walking and talking , shortening attention span and causing learning disabilities . Having mercury levels that are too high is n't someone else 's problem . In a recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , one out of 17 women of childbearing age in the United States has mercury in her blood above the level that could pose a risk to a developing fetus -LRB- 5.8 micrograms per liter -RRB- . So the federal government advises pregnant women and those thinking of becoming pregnant to avoid certain fish , such as shark , swordfish and fresh tuna , usually found in fish markets and sushi . Canned tuna seems to be less of a threat , but the U.S. Department of Agriculture says consumption should be limited . Why avoid these kinds of fish ? According to Andrew Heyes , a scientist with the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center , Edgewater , Maryland , the older and larger the fish , the more mercury it has stored . `` As it grows older , it ca n't eliminate mercury as fast as it takes it in , '' he says . `` So there 's an accumulation in the fish . '' Watch more on fish and mercury '' Because mercury is a growing threat to us and our environment , companies have started to take mercury out of thermometers , switches and even batteries to prevent it from entering our soil . Now , many regions , like the Chesapeake Bay states of Maryland , Virginia and Delaware , have instituted new rules to limit mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants , one of the largest sources of mercury pollution in the region . Researcher Cindy Gilmour , also with the SERC , says that is a positive development because mercury contamination is getting out of hand . `` We 've opened Pandora 's Box and we 've let that mercury out from where it was buried underground , into the atmosphere and into our soils and waterways , '' she says . `` All that excess mercury causes problems , not just in people . '' In an effort to make sure these new regulations on mercury emissions are effective , scientists like Heyes and Gilmour are measuring levels of the toxic metal in watersheds near the bay . Gilmour says the research is needed . `` All those rules are starting to go into place , and we are starting to put those controls on our power plants . So what we want to find out here is whether those rules work and if the money we are investing in these technologies is really going to help , '' she says . As they monitor mercury , scientists are also learning more about how it behaves in nature . Gilmour says mercury contaminates more than just the soil and water . `` Mercury has a large impact on all kinds of animals -- loons , amphibians , songbirds , are all affected , '' she says . It will be several years before researchers know if the regulations are making a difference . Until then , health experts say enjoy fish -- it 's good for you -- but be like Jackie Kaminer and pick your fish wisely .", "question": "what fish contain mercury", "answer": "swordfish , sea bass and tuna"}, {"story_text": "CHICAGO , Illinois -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The funeral of a Chicago teenager whose beating death was caught on video was attended Saturday by scores of family members , officials and community leaders , including the Rev. Jesse Jackson . A funeral for Derrion Albert , a teen who was fatally beaten last month , was held Saturday on Chicago 's South Side . Authorities say Derrion Albert , a 16-year-old honors student , was an innocent bystander who ended up in the middle of a September 24 street fight between two factions of students from Christian Fenger Academy High School . `` The killings keep coming -- one need not to be guilty to be killed in this war zone , '' Jackson told reporters before the service Saturday at the Greater Mount Hebron Baptist Church in South Side Chicago . `` We must declare a state of emergency . We have an obligation to prepare for our children safe passage . '' Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis was among the Chicago officials who filed into the church as the the victim 's mother , An-Janette Albert , wept in the arms of loved ones . Watch friends , dignitaries attend funeral '' `` I ca n't believe I 'm here and he 's not with me , '' An-Janette Albert told CNN in an interview earlier in the week . `` I ca n't talk to him . '' Four suspects have been charged with first-degree murder in Derrion Albert 's killing , and police say they are looking for three more people in connection with the beating . Video footage of the incident shows Albert being hit by a person wielding a railroad tie . President Obama , a longtime Chicago resident , is sending Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Attorney General Eric Holder next week to talk with officials from the school , the students and the community about school violence , the White House said . Albert 's sister , 11-year-old Rhaea , told CNN on Thursday that she looked up to her big brother , and now wants to be an even better student in his honor . But his death haunts her . `` I 'm kind of nervous to go outside these days because of what happens to kids now , '' she said . `` Kids around my age ... they could still get hurt , no matter what . '' Watch slain teen 's mother talk about her feelings '' When school let out at 2:50 p.m. on September 24 , Albert was nearly six blocks away -- on his way to a bus stop -- when two groups of students converged on the street , said Tandra Simonton , spokeswoman for the Cook County prosecutor . The factions -- one that lived near the Altgeld Gardens housing development and one in an area known as `` The Ville '' -- began fighting after an earlier shooting that police called gang-related . According to Simonton , Albert was approached by two members of `` The Ville '' faction and struck in the head with a long wooden railroad tie , then punched in the face . After being knocked unconscious for a brief period , Albert regained consciousness and tried to move from the fight , but was then attacked by a second group of five members from the opposing faction , Simonton said . Albert was taken to Roseland Community Hospital and then to Advocate Christ Hospital and Medical Center , where he was pronounced dead .", "question": "What happened to Derrion Albert on September 24th ?", "answer": "fatally beaten"}, {"story_text": "LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- After a long apprenticeship , it 's been an astonishingly fast rise for R&B singer Jazmine Sullivan . Jazmine Sullivan is up for five Grammys next month , including best new artist . Before she was in her teens , Sullivan sang on `` It 's Showtime at the Apollo . '' At 13 , she met Stevie Wonder . Soon she was performing regularly at the jam sessions called Black Lily in her hometown of Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . She went to that city 's performing arts high school and was signed to a contract by Jive Records , where she was paired with producers such as Timbaland and Cool & Dre . It did n't work out -- then . But soon , Sullivan signed with Clive Davis ' J Records , and suddenly she was everywhere . Her debut single , `` Need U Bad , '' hit No. 1 on Billboard 's R&B / Hip-Hop chart , and her album `` Fearless '' hit the Top 10 on Billboard 's album chart . Now she 's up for five Grammys on February 8 , including best R&B performance -LRB- for `` Bust Your Windows '' -RRB- and best new artist . CNN 's KJ Matthews talked with Sullivan about her inspirations , who she 's bringing to the Grammys and the mysterious person behind `` Bust Your Windows . '' The following is an edited version of that interview . CNN : How would you describe your sound ? Jazmine Sullivan : I ca n't really describe it ; that 's the whole thing . Once you hear the CD , you 'll hear that one sound does n't sound like the next . You know , I 've been influenced by so many different styles and different genres of music that I felt like that should be represented on my first album , so when you get it , you get a taste of gospel , jazz , R&B , hip-hop , reggae , pop ... everything is on there , there 's something for everybody to enjoy . I did n't want to exclude anybody from the album . CNN : Let me ask you this : When you saw or heard the other nominees in the best new artist category who happen to be a little bit more well-known , was it intimidating ? I mean , you got the Jonas Brothers , Katy Perry , Adele ... Sullivan : Yeah , the Jonas Brothers , specifically . I did n't even know they were new artists because they are so huge , so , you know , so after , when my name was called after theirs , I thought , `` Wow , they 're new artists , too ? '' I got a little scared , I tell you that . But I 'm just so honored to be mentioned to be in the same categories with such wonderful artists , so I 'm looking forward to February and the Grammys and just being in that atmosphere . CNN : I was looking at your background , and I did n't know that you 're a protegee of Missy Elliott . I was thinking to myself , you would think that you would do rap , but you 're this big voice , this soulful voice . You might not equate that with Missy . Sullivan : Yeah , and a lot of people do n't know that Missy Elliott ... grew up in the church , and she 's really into vocalists . When I met her , was I was about 13 or 14 , -LSB- and -RSB- she was ecstatic about me . When nobody else was there to support me , Missy was there , so she 's a good friend of mine , and I 'm happy to have her by my side . She 's definitely taught me a lot of things . CNN : So everybody wants to know , the guy behind `` Bust Your Windows '' -- is there one ? Sullivan : We wo n't talk about that on camera -- that 's an off-camera conversation -- but it 's definitely a song that relates to a lot of women especially . You know , even if they really have n't busted windows out of anybody 's car , they have wanted to . A lot of women have been through that , so I 'm glad that my music is touching those people CNN : `` Need U Bad '' is rising as well . What 's the thought process behind that one ? Sullivan : `` Need U Bad '' ... a lot of men actually pointed out to me that women do n't come out and admit that they made mistakes and say that they actually need the male , so I think that was kind of cool . I have n't thought of it like that when I was writing it . So , you know , it 's a song for the fellas , saying that we appreciate them and we need you as much as you need us . But on the flip side , I do a song like `` Bust Your Windows , '' so on the album you have a lot of different perceptions and everything . CNN : How old are you ? You look like you 're 10 . Sullivan : I 'm 21 years old . CNN : Success that early , that 's sometimes tough for people . Sullivan : Well , I 've been in this industry for a very long time . I started out when I was 12 ; I got signed when I was 16 , so it was n't an overnight success story at all . I put a lot of hard work into it , and this is just a byproduct of all of that . CNN : It 's great that you write your own music too , because a lot of people do n't do that . You have a lot more creative control . Sullivan : Most definitely , and I 've dealt with not having that control when I was younger and I was signed . I was n't writing at all , and so I 've been through all of that . So now to be in a position where I write my music , and I have that control -- it feels so much better . CNN : All right , the big question : Grammy night . What are you wearing ? Who are you bringing ? What are you going to be doing ? Sullivan : I 'm bringing my mother . She 's been my rock and my support ever since I was a baby . She was my first huge fan , that what she is . I do n't know what I 'm wearing . I 'm trying not to think about that . I want to perform . Hopefully I can get on stage and I can show everybody who I am and what I 'm about . But I have n't thought about the dress or the shoes or the hair or anything about that . CNN : You 're just trying to enjoy the moment . Sullivan : Enjoy , yes .", "question": "Who is Jazmine Sullivan ?", "answer": "R&B singer"}, {"story_text": "Jerusalem -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In a move likely to further strain relations between the United States and Israel , the municipality of Jerusalem has given final approval for a controversial Israeli housing project in the heart of a Palestinian neighborhood in East Jerusalem . Approval of the project paves the way for construction of 20 apartments being developed by American millionaire Irving Moskowitz on land that he purchased in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood . Moskowitz , an avid supporter of Jewish building in East Jerusalem , purchased the land in 1985 . To make way for the new housing units the historic Shepherd Hotel which was built in the 1930s by a prominent Palestinian family would be torn down . The Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in East Jerusalem has become an area highly coveted by Jewish nationalists wishing to cement Jewish claims to the land , and it has become a fault line in the public debate about Israeli building in Arab areas of East Jerusalem . Every week hundreds of Palestinians , Israelis , and international activists stage protests in the neighborhood to protest Israeli government building policies . East Jerusalem was captured from Jordan in the 1967 war between Israel and its Arab neighbors . Israel claims sovereignty over all of Jerusalem , though this it is a claim not recognized by the international community . Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capitol of their future state . In a terse statement Wednesday , the Jerusalem Municipality argued the East Jerusalem construction was actually approved in July 2009 and that the owners of the land merely paid a necessary fee last week which generated an automatic approval for the project to proceed . `` This is distorted media information in order to create a provocation during the Prime Minister 's visit to the United States '' read the statement . The building plan , which was given municipal approval last summer , was met with great disapproval from the United States which demanded that it be stopped . It was a demand , then as now , that fell on deaf ears . At the time Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his cabinet , `` Our sovereignty over -LSB- Jerusalem -RSB- can not be challenged . This means that residents of Jerusalem may purchase apartments in all parts of the city . We can not accept the idea that Jews will not have the right to live and purchase in all parts of Jerusalem . '' Netanyahu echoed the same arguments in defense of the Israeli announcement two weeks ago to build 1,600 units of housing in a different East Jerusalem neighborhood . That announcement , made while U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden was visiting Israel , set off a diplomatic rift between the United States and Israel that both sides are still attempting to iron out . U.S. President Barack Obama and Netanyahu met Wednesday evening in Washington to discuss Israel 's plans for new housing units in East Jerusalem . The leaders did not appear before cameras , and there was no sign of an end to the dispute . Nabil Abu Rudeineh , a spokesman for the Palestinian Authority , called the approval `` an intentional insult to the U.S. administration '' and works against `` any serious indirect or direct negotiations '' between Israel and the Palestinians . Rudeineh said the Obama administration `` should put enough pressure on Israel to implement what has been written and issued by the Quartet in Moscow several days ago . '' On Friday , the Middle East Quartet , the United States , European Union , the United Nations , and Russia , called on both sides `` to refrain from proactive actions '' and for Israel to freeze all settlement activity in an effort to promote peace talks .", "question": "Which leaders met on wednesday ?", "answer": "U.S. President Barack Obama and Netanyahu"}, {"story_text": "LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Blake Mycoskie is the founder and `` chief shoe giver '' of TOMS Shoes , a company that matches every pair of shoes it sells with a free pair to an impoverished child . Blake Mycoskie started TOMS Shoes in 2006 . The company is committed to giving free shoes to poor children around the world . CNN caught up with the 32-year-old entrepreneur to talk about the inspiration behind his revolutionary business and what he has planned next . CNN : Tell us about the TOMS model . Mycoskie : The TOMS initiative is very simple : For every pair of shoes we sell , we give a pair away . When we know that say , we 're going to sell 10,000 pairs this spring , we make another 10,000 to be given away . CNN : Where did you get the idea to start TOMS ? Mycoskie : I decided to go back to some of the places that my sister and I had visited on `` The Amazing Race . '' -LSB- Mycoskie and his sister participated in the reality TV show in 2002 . -RSB- I found myself going on to Argentina . I went to some of the villages and it was one of the defining moments of my life when I saw these kids not wearing shoes . That 's where I kind of had this ` ah ha ' moment . I started thinking , what if I started a business where every time I sold a pair of shoes , I would guarantee that customer that I would give another pair to someone who does not have shoes ? CNN : How did you pursue your vision ? Did you have any experience as a designer or shoemaker ? Mycoskie : I had absolutely no experience in shoes or fashion so I approached the business how I have done everything in my life , and that 's with reckless ambition . There were a lot of really cool styles of shoes in Argentina that we did not have in the United States so I picked one of them , the alpargata , and I started figuring out how to make shoes . CNN : Did you expect the company to be a big success when you launched ? Mycoskie : I was not really looking to make any money on the deal . I wanted to be able to sell the shoes for enough money to give away another pair and to hire one or two people to administer it and keep it going once I went back to work . But what I found was that not only did people find this concept just very intriguing - from a fashion perspective , people loved these shoes . All of a sudden I started selling in the top boutiques . CNN : When did you realize that TOMS was going to be much more than a small project ? Mycoskie : I think the crowning moment was when Vogue magazine called and that was a few months after we started . That was when I was really like , ` Wow , this is not just some small little shoe philanthropy that I have created . ' This could be a real business and it could be a real player in the fashion industry and it could really set a tone for how fashion companies could give back . CNN : Has philanthropy always been a priority for you ? Mycoskie : I always thought that I would spend the first half of my life making money so I can spend the second half of my life giving it all away . And one of the defining moments of my life was when I realized that I could do both at the same time with TOMS . CNN : What are some of your proudest achievements ? Mycoskie : One thing that is most unique about TOMS and I think that I 'm most proud of is that every single pair -LSB- of shoes -RSB- is hand placed onto a child 's foot . CNN : How has TOMS evolved since you started it in 2006 ? Mycoskie : A big part of our business that has changed over the past year is that now we also have a travel organization that takes volunteers all over the world on these trips and -LSB- they -RSB- get the experience of giving away the shoes . CNN : Tell us about the process of producing TOMS . Mycoskie : A very big passion of mine and that of the people that run our production is finding factories that have fair labor practices and treating them more like partners in our family than people just who are going to produce for us . One of the things we have always done with all of our factories is I personally visit them and we actually show our documentary film about what we do . When you connect with the factory like that , everything goes much better . CNN : You 've called yourself a serial entrepreneur . Do you have another business in the pipeline ? Mycoskie : I can honestly say that TOMS is my future . I mean I have no desire to start any other company for as long as I live because this is the perfect blend of business and philanthropy to me . CNN : What 's next for TOMS ? Mycoskie : The future of TOMS is really creating a whole new business model of this one-for-one giving and expanding the TOMS model from shoes into other products as well . So while we are not committed to doing anything else right now , we are looking for partners out there who have great products and that want to find a way to incorporate giving back .", "question": "What is the idea behind TOMS Shoes ?", "answer": "For every pair of shoes we sell , we give a pair away"}, {"story_text": "LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Kanye West called Taylor Swift with a `` very sincere '' apology Tuesday for interrupting her acceptance speech at Sunday 's MTV Video Music Awards , Swift said . Kanye West called Taylor Swift to apologize for hijacking her speech at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards . West phoned Swift following her appearance on ABC 's `` The View '' Tuesday , her publicist said . Swift talked about it in a radio interview with ABC . `` Kanye did call me and he was very sincere in his apology , '' she said . `` And I accepted that apology . '' The apology came the morning after West , in an interview with Jay Leno , appeared to blame the pain of his mother 's death two years ago for his `` rude '' behavior . The rapper told Leno he would now `` take some time off '' to think about how he will `` make it through the rest of this life . '' West 's appearance on the prime-time premiere of `` The Jay Leno Show '' capped a 24-hour period that began Sunday evening with him strolling down the red carpet at New York 's Radio City Music Hall while gulping from a bottle of cognac . The low-light came about an hour later , when West jumped onstage and grabbed the microphone from Swift as she accepted the Best Female Video award . West declared that Beyonce Knowles should have won . West appeared sober and humble when he spoke on Leno 's Los Angeles stage Monday , an appearance that was originally to be just musical . Watch West give an emotional interview to Leno '' `` I immediately knew in this situation that it was wrong , '' West told Leno . `` And it was n't a spectacle , you know . It was actually someone 's emotions , you know , that I stepped on and it was very , it was just , it was rude , period . '' When Leno asked West what his mother would have thought of his behavior , he fell silent for more than a dozen seconds and appeared near tears . Leno pressed him again . `` Would she be disappointed in this ? Would she give you a lecture ? '' West gave a rambling , emotional answer : `` Yeah , you know , obviously , you know , I deal with hurt and , you know , so many , you know , celebrities , they never take the time off , and I 've never taken the time off to really , you know , I just , music after music and tour after tour on tour , and I 'm just ashamed that my hurt caused someone else 's hurt . '' West said he was n't trying to justify his behavior , `` because I was just in the wrong . That 's clear . '' `` But I need to , after this , just to take some time off and analyze how I 'm going to , you know , make it through rest of this life , how I 'm going to improve , '' he said . `` Because , I am a celebrity and that 's something I have to deal with . '' He said he would like to personally apologize to Swift , a 19-year-old pop-country singer . `` And if there 's anything I can do to help Taylor in the future or help anyone , I want to live this thing . It 's hard sometimes , so . '' After his four-minute talk with Leno , West joined fellow hip-hop superstars Jay-Z and Rihanna to perform `` Run This Town , '' a song they recorded together . The timing of West 's antics came at a good time for Leno , who embarked on a new era of his career Monday . After 17 years of hosting `` The Tonight Show , '' Leno debuted his 10 p.m. weeknight talk show on NBC . Apologies from celebrities behaving badly have boosted Leno 's ratings . In 1995 , Leno enjoyed a ratings-grabbing moment when he asked actor Hugh Grant , `` What the hell were you thinking ? '' Grant had been arrested two weeks earlier for public lewd conduct with a Hollywood hooker . When Grant told Leno `` I did a bad thing , '' it gave Leno 's `` Tonight Show '' a viewership bump that has been credited with solidifying his lead over rival David Letterman in the late-night ratings war . This is just the kind of `` immediacy '' Leno was talking about in a call with reporters last week . `` The idea here is that we 'll tape a new , fresh show every single day , talking about the events that happened that day that night , '' Leno said . Jerry Seinfeld also appeared on Leno 's premiere Monday .", "question": "what show did she appear on ?", "answer": "ABC 's `` The View"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The crew members of a North Korean freighter regained control of their ship from pirates who hijacked the vessel off Somalia , but not without a deadly fight , the U.S. Navy reported Tuesday . The USS James E. Williams ordered pirates to give up their weapons , the Navy says . When the battle aboard the Dai Hong Dan was over , two pirates were dead and five were captured , the Navy said . Three wounded crew members from the cargo ship were being treated aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS James E. Williams . The captured pirates were being held aboard the North Korean vessel , the Navy said . The bandits had seized the ship 's bridge , while the crew kept control of the steering gear and engines , the Navy said . The Koreans moved against the attackers after the Williams -- responding to reports of the hijacking -- ordered the pirates to give up their weapons , according to the Navy . When the crew members stormed the bridge , the deadly battle began . After the crew regained control , Navy sailors boarded the Dai Hong Dan to help with the injured . North Korea and the United States have no diplomatic relations . Watch why the U.S. helped the North Koreans '' The incident took place about 70 miles northeast of the Somali capital , Mogadishu , the Navy said . It is the second incident of piracy reported in recent days . A second U.S. Navy destroyer was searching waters off Somalia for pirates who hijacked a Japanese-owned ship , military officials said . Over the weekend , gunmen aboard two skiffs hijacked the Panamanian-flagged Golden Nori off the Socotra archipelago near the Horn of Africa , said Andrew Mwangura , a spokesman for the Kenyan-based Seafarers ' Assistance Program . The guided-missile destroyer USS Arleigh Burke has been pursuing the pirates after entering Somali waters with the permission of the troubled transitional government in Mogadishu , U.S. officials said Monday . In recent years , warships have stayed outside the 12-mile limit when chasing pirates . Two military officials familiar with the details confirmed the ongoing operation . The Navy 's pursuit of the pirates began Sunday night when the Golden Nori radioed for help . The Burke 's sister ship , the USS Porter , opened fire and sank the pirate skiffs tied to the Golden Nori 's stern before the Burke took over shadowing the hijacked vessel . When the shots were fired , it was not known the ship was filled with highly flammable benzene . U.S. military officials indicate there is a great deal of concern about the cargo because it is so sensitive . Benzene , which U.S. authorities have declared a known human carcinogen , is used as a solvent and to make plastics and synthetic fabrics . Four other ships in the region remain in pirate hands , the Navy said . U.S. and NATO warships have been patrolling off the Horn of Africa for years in an effort to crack down on piracy off Somalia , where a U.N.-backed transitional government is struggling to restore order after 15 years of near-anarchy . See how piracy is worse than 2006 '' On Monday , the head of the transitional government resigned as his administration -- backed by Ethiopian troops -- battled insurgents from the Islamic movement that seized control of Mogadishu in 2006 . Hospital officials reported 30 dead in three days of clashes on the city 's south side . In June , the ship USS Carter Hall fired warning shots in an attempt to stop a hijacked Danish cargo ship off Somalia , but the American vessel turned away when the pirated ship entered Somali waters . In May , a U.S. Navy advisory warned merchant ships to stay at least 200 miles off the Somali coast . But the U.S. Maritime Administration said pirates sometimes issue false distress calls to lure ships closer to shore . See the warning area '' The pirates often are armed with automatic rifles and shoulder-fired rockets , according to a recent warning from the agency . `` To date , vessels that increase speed and take evasive maneuvers avoid boarding , while those that slow down are boarded , taken to the Somali coastline and released after successful ransom payment , often after protracted negotiations of as much as 11 weeks , '' the warning advised . The agency issued a new warning to sailors in the Gulf of Aden , between Somalia and Yemen , after Sunday 's hijacking . E-mail to a friend CNN correspondents Barbara Starr at the Pentagon and Christian Purefoy in Nairobi contributed to this report .", "question": "What happened to the pirates ?", "answer": "were dead and five were captured , the Navy said"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- At the stroke of midnight , American beer drinkers were no longer breaking the law when they broke open a beer . Brewers and beer lovers this weekend are toasting the return of legal brew 75 years ago . Breweries and beer lovers around the country are celebrating the 75th anniversary of the return of beer on April 7 , 1933 , as the Prohibition era was drawing to a close . It was n't quite the end of Prohibition , and it was n't quite beer , but after 14 thirsty years , it was close enough . What became available that day was only 3.2 percent alcohol by weight -LRB- compared with up to 5 percent in full-strength beer -RRB- , but still , it was a step up from the virtually alcohol-free `` near beer '' that had been sold since 1920 . `` It 's a big deal . ... The whole industry of beer has gotten together to say this date is definitely historic , '' said Julia Herz , spokeswoman for the Brewers Association , which represents smaller `` craft '' brewers . In St. Louis , Missouri , megabrewer Anheuser-Busch is throwing a big bash , complete with historical exhibits and an appearance by the company 's famous Clydesdale horses . Also in St. Louis , but on a more intimate scale , Schlafly Beer is inviting folks to come out to its Bottleworks for a festival next weekend . Remnants of Prohibition survive today in the form of state-owned liquor stores and local laws that , for example , prevent sales of alcohol on Sundays or in grocery stores . Some counties remain entirely dry , banning alcohol sales altogether , and 3.2 beer is still sold in six states -LRB- Colorado , Kansas , Minnesota , Missouri , Oklahoma and Utah -RRB- , according to Modern Brewery Age magazine . And there are those who think a beer-related anniversary is nothing to celebrate . `` It is the product of choice for underage drinking , '' said Michael Scippa , advocacy director for the Marin Institute , an alcohol industry watchdog group . `` We 're not neo-Prohibitionists or teetotalers , '' he said . `` We 're not trying to tell adults what to do . '' He said his group just wants the industry to operate more responsibly . The crowds celebrating the anniversary are unlikely to match the size or enthusiasm of those that gathered around breweries all over the country on `` New Beer 's Eve , '' April 6 , 1933 , in anticipation of the return of legal beer that actually had some alcohol in it . `` There was dancing in the streets and lines outside brewery doors ... It was a big date , for sure , '' Herz said . Franklin Delano Roosevelt had been president barely a month , having been sworn in on March 4 after a landslide victory the previous November . Sweeping into power with him was an anti-Prohibition majority in Congress known as `` the wets . '' Together they fulfilled their first campaign promise with passage of the Cullen-Harrison Act , which increased the amount of alcohol allowed in beverages from 0.5 percent to a discernible 3.2 percent by weight . When the act took effect at 12:01 a.m. ET April 7 , trucks and carriages burst out of brewery gates bearing cases and barrels of beer for a parched republic -- at least for the District of Columbia and the 20 states whose laws permitted it . Several breweries dispatched cases directly to the White House and the Capitol . According to the Brewers Association , more than 1.5 million barrels were snapped up in the first 24 hours . Full-strength beer and hard liquor were still a few months away . National Prohibition was n't repealed until the 21st Amendment to the Constitution was ratified on December 5 . Bob Skilnik , author of eight books about beer , including `` Beer & Food : An American History , '' holds that the December date is more significant and that the quickly brewed April 7 beer probably was of poor quality . `` I know everyone gets excited about it , but you were offered a watered-down version of beer . That 's all you got , '' Skilnik said . `` It probably was n't a very satisfying drink . If you wanted to have a shot -LSB- of hard liquor -RSB- on the side , you still had to wait until December 5th for that to happen . '' But the celebration was about more than getting a buzz . According to a contemporary article in The New York Times , the revival of the brewing industry restored at least 50,000 jobs in the midst of the Great Depression , instantly breathing life into the economies of St. Louis ; Milwaukee , Wisconsin ; Chicago , Illinois ; and other cities and towns where breweries were large employers . `` April 7th was really just ... FDR looking for an economic shot in the arm , '' Skilnik said . `` And it was a very successful shot in the arm . There was a hell of a lot of money spent . '' He said $ 25 million was pumped into breweries and associated businesses -- helping farmers , truckers , and glassmakers as well as brewers and pubs -- in the first 48 hours of sales . And that was good for cash-strapped governments , too . `` Everybody -LSB- in government -RSB- , for the first time , started to wrap their heads around the notion that this is something that you could tax , '' he said . The first day of beer sales reaped $ 7.5 million in tax receipts for the U.S. Treasury , he noted . About half the nation 's breweries went out of business during Prohibition , but others survived by converting to products such as oleomargarine , ice cream , cheese and smoked ham . So at the Storck brewery in Milwaukee , for example , children could enjoy a sundae while Mom or Dad slipped away to a room where illicit beer was served from a hidden tap , according to the American Brewerania Association 's Web site . Yes , despite Prohibition , Americans could go for the gusto . Chicago had as many as 20,000 speakeasies , Skilnik said . `` If you could n't find a beer during Prohibition , '' he said , `` you really were n't trying . '' E-mail to a friend", "question": "what are they celebrating", "answer": "the 75th anniversary of the return of beer"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Donna Zovko will have to wait to travel to Falluja to see where her son died in one of the Iraq war 's most infamous attacks . Clockwise from upper left : Wesley Batalona , Mike Teague , Scott Helvenston , Jerry Zovko `` My dream was to go for the fifth anniversary , and that did n't come true , '' Zovko said this week while visiting friends in Boston , Massachusetts . `` It 's not that I 'm afraid for me . But people with me on the trip would be in more danger . '' Tuesday marks five years since her son Jerry Zovko and three other civilian employees of the Blackwater private security firm were ambushed in Falluja on March 31 , 2004 . Gunmen attacked vehicles holding Zovko , Mike Teague , Wesley Batalona and Scott Helvenston and set the vehicles on fire . Shocking images beamed around the world showed Iraqis celebrating in front of charred bodies strung up on a bridge over the Euphrates River . The remains were dragged through the streets . Donna Zovko honors her son '' `` I did n't realize until way after the incident that he had been decapitated , '' said Helvenston 's mother , Katy Helvenston-Wettengel , from her Florida home . `` They cut his heart out . How can anybody be that hateful ? '' To identify his body , she said , investigators had to gather DNA samples from her son 's children . A half-decade after the notorious attack , memories of the gruesome images have faded somewhat from the public eye , as the United States plans to reduce troop numbers in Iraq and a wrongful death suit brought by the four families heads to court-ordered arbitration . The families accuse Blackwater of failing to prepare the men for their mission that day . A 2007 House oversight committee report concluded that Blackwater `` ignored multiple warnings about the dangers '' and failed to supply armored vehicles , machine guns , sufficient intelligence or even a map . Blackwater responded by saying the experienced military veterans on the team `` had all of the resources they needed '' and were victims of a `` well-planned ambush . '' In the days after the attack , Blackwater was largely silent beyond a statement that said , '' We grieve today for the loss of our colleagues and we pray for their families . '' But the families said they ran into a stone wall trying to get details of what happened in Falluja . `` For the next three months , they never returned my calls , '' Helvenston 's mother said . `` Our families were destroyed . We will never be the same . '' For Zovko , the suit is not about money or punishment . `` I want to hear the truth , '' she said . `` I want to know what my Jerry was doing before the mission . Why they did n't they have the maps ? I want to know who he spoke to last . '' What makes this anniversary different from past years , she said , was an encounter this month in Boston with an Iraqi who claimed that he was at the scene of the attack shortly after the massacre . He offered Zovko new alleged details of the attack , which she says brought her comfort . The Iraqi man , whom she would n't identify , told her that the attackers did not appear to be targeting the motorcade containing her son and his three comrades . `` We used to think maybe the attack was done on purpose , '' she said . The news made her feel like `` I was lifted into the air , '' she said . `` For me , it was good . I miss my Jerry more today than yesterday . '' The gruesome attack put the little-known North Carolina-based security company into the American lexicon and on the world stage . It also changed the course of the war . The House report called it a `` turning point in public opinion about the war , '' which led to the first major U.S. offensive in Falluja . The fighting lasted three weeks , killing 36 U.S. service members , about 200 insurgents and an estimated 600 Iraqi civilians , according to the report . In the ensuing years , Blackwater and other private security firms in Iraq received hundreds of millions of dollars in U.S. government contracts . Tactics used by the private security firms sometimes created ill will among Iraqis and Blackwater in particular was criticized , even by some in the U.S. military , for its allegedly reckless use of deadly force . Erik Prince , Blackwater 's founder and former CEO , dismissed such allegations as `` baseless '' after his company was criticized by the Iraqi government for an incident in which its guards killed 17 Iraqi civilians and wounded others while protecting a U.S. State Department convoy in Baghdad on September 16 , 2007 . `` To the extent there was the loss of innocent life , let me be clear that I consider that tragic , '' Prince said , adding that the Blackwater team `` acted appropriately while operating in a very complex war zone '' that day . Five ex-Blackwater security guards pleaded not guilty in January to charges of voluntary manslaughter stemming from their involvement in the shootings . A sixth pleaded guilty to voluntary and attempted manslaughter . That same month , the Iraqi government refused to grant the firm an operating license , and the U.S. State Department announced that it will not renew its contract . In the two months since the exit of the Bush administration , Prince has stepped down as CEO and brought in a new leadership team . The company has changed its name to Xe , but Prince is still chairman . `` I think Blackwater 's been punished enough , '' Zovko said , `` but they will be punished more . It 's time our government makes some rules and regulations about what civilian contractors can do in their wars . '' This week , Xe released a brief statement to CNN about the Falluja killings , saying the `` sacrifices of these brave men have not been forgotten . On the five-year anniversary of their death , the company continues to mourn their loss . Our thoughts remain with their families and loved ones . '' Prince 's promise Both mothers seem to be making a conscious effort to control their anger five years on . `` I refuse to hate , but if I were gon na hate anybody , it would be Blackwater and Erik Prince , '' Helvenston-Wettengel said . `` I want Blackwater exposed for who they are , and I want them out of business . '' Zovko said she relies on her Catholic faith to control her anger . In 2007 , Prince told CNN he would be willing to meet with Zovko , but 16 months later , no such meeting has taken place . `` He has n't honored his promise , but I believe he will , '' Zovko said . `` Sometimes I think he does n't have a heart , but he really does . '' Zovko said she wants to ask Prince , `` Where are my Jerry 's three suitcases with personal things that I have never received ? '' Also , she said Prince promised to invite Zovko to Blackwater 's headquarters in North Carolina to see memorial stones and trees that were planted honoring the victims . `` That has n't happened , '' Zovko said . Helvenston-Wettengel also said she 'd like to meet with Prince . `` I 'd like to look him in the eye , yeah . I 'd say , ` How can you live with yourself ? ' '' CNN sought a response from Prince about his promised meeting with Zovko . Company spokeswoman Anne Tyrrell said Prince had tried to meet with Zovko in early 2008 but was unable to `` due to scheduling conflicts . '' Both mothers ' sons went to Iraq after careers in the U.S. military . Jerry Zovko , a former Army Ranger , had gone as a security contractor to train Iraqi soldiers . When that contract ended in late 2003 , he signed on with a different company , Blackwater , according to his mother . For Scott Helvenston , Iraq was just the final chapter of a colorful career for the former Navy SEAL , a life that included a job as a stuntman and consultant for Hollywood films . On the set of 1997 's `` G.I. Jane , '' shot in Jacksonville , Florida , Helvenston put Demi Moore through a rigorous training program , his mother said , even managing to grab a small role as an extra . A divorced father of two , Helvenston told his mother he would return from Iraq in two months , she said . `` He was going to go over there and make a bunch of money and come back and give it to his ex-wife , '' she said . Zovko and Helvenston-Wettengel have become close friends in the years since the tragedy , but on this anniversary , the two mothers will not be together to share their support and grief with each other . `` Traveling is getting to be troublesome for us both , '' said Zovko , who plans to remain near her home in Bratenahl , Ohio , to attend morning and evening masses at Cleveland 's St. Paul Croatian Church . Helvenston-Wettengel also said she plans to attend church Tuesday in her hometown of Leesburg , Florida . Legal setbacks As for the families ' wrongful death lawsuit against Blackwater , a federal judge in 2007 ordered that the case be taken out of the courts to be decided by a three-member arbitration panel . Senior U.S. District Judge James Fox sent the case to arbitration based on Blackwater 's argument that the four victims had signed an agreement not to sue the company . A hearing is set for June 23 . In court , Blackwater had argued that it was immune to such a lawsuit because , as an extension of the military , it can not be held responsible for deaths in a war zone . At this point , Zovko said , both sides are losers . `` I lost my son , and Blackwater lost the dignity of the company they thought they were . '' Helvenston said she wants the whole thing to just end , but events keep dragging it out . `` They wo n't let me let it go . '' CNN 's Wayne Drash contributed to this report .", "question": "What Blackwater said about the los of the four men ?", "answer": "We grieve today for the loss of our colleagues and we pray for their families"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sarah Palin did not visit troops in Iraq , a spokesperson for the Republican vice presidential nominee confirmed Saturday , as new details emerged about the extent of the Alaska governor 's foreign travel . Gov. Sarah Palin 's aide confirmed to CNN details of her foreign travel Saturday . In July of last year , Palin left North America for the first time to visit Alaskan troops stationed in Kuwait . Palin officials originally said her itinerary included U.S. military installations or outposts in Germany and Kuwait , and that she had visited Ireland . A Palin aide in Alaska had said Iraq was also one of the military stops on that trip . The Boston Globe , however , reported Saturday that in response to questions about the trip , Alaska National Guard officials and campaign aides said Palin did not go past the Kuwait-Iraq border . In addition , campaign aides also confirmed reports to CNN Saturday that Palin 's time in Ireland on that trip had actually been a refueling stop . The Obama campaign -- which has increasingly accused the McCain campaign of deliberately lying in ads and on the stump -- was quick to highlight that story , along with a news report that explored whether the McCain campaign has been sending out wildly inflated crowd estimates . The McCain team has twice pointed to law enforcement as the source for those estimates -- but the same officials denied to Bloomberg News that they had provided the numbers cited by the Republican nominee 's campaign . `` The McCain campaign said Gov. Palin opposed the bridge to nowhere , but now we know she supported it , '' said Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor in a statement . `` They said she did n't seek earmarks , but now we know she hired a lobbyist to get millions in pork for her town and her state . They said she visited Iraq , but today we learned that she only stopped at the border . Americans are starting to wonder , is there anything the McCain campaign is n't lying about ? '' A Palin spokesperson also confirmed that the governor had visited Mexico on a personal vacation . She has also visited Canada . The Palin revelations Saturday are the latest in a series of barbs between the two presidential campaigns . McCain , appearing Friday on ABC 's `` The View , '' was aggressively pressed on Palin 's qualifications to be vice president as well as his new campaign ads that several independent fact-check groups have called misleading . Co-host Barbara Walters asked about Palin 's reformist credentials , noting McCain has served in Washington for more than two decades and asking repeatedly , `` Who 's she going to reform , you ? '' McCain answered by saying Democrats have controlled Congress for two years , but then Walters quickly interrupted : `` But tell me who she is going to reform -- we are n't talking about the economy , we 're not talking about housing ; she was chosen to reform , who is she going to reform ? '' Appearing somewhat frustrated , McCain said , `` The Democrat Party , the Republican Party , even an independent . She 'll reform all of Washington . '' Walters , seeming somewhat exasperated , asked , `` How ? What will she do ? What is she going to reform specifically , senator ? '' McCain said Palin had a strong record on vetoing earmark spending . Watch more of McCain 's appearance on `` The View '' '' `` The fact is she was a reform governor , she took on an incumbent governor of her own party and defeated him . She sold the airplane and fired the chef , '' McCain said , referring to Palin 's efforts to put her predecessor 's state jet up for auction on eBay and her dismissal of the governor 's personal chef . `` She sold the airplane at a loss , '' Walters interrupted . -LRB- The jet failed to draw sufficient bids on eBay and later was sold at a loss through an ordinary aircraft brokerage . -RRB- Also on Friday , both campaigns accused each other of engaging in lies , unfair attacks and gutter politics in a series of television ads and memos . McCain 's campaign released a television ad , titled `` Disrespectful , '' that accuses McCain 's Democratic rival of launching desperate attacks and smears against Palin . In the McCain ad , the announcer says the Obama camp had `` lashed out at Sarah Palin '' and dismissed Palin as `` good-looking '' as the Democratic nominee 's face appears on the screen . The announcer also says the Democrats had said Palin was doing `` what she was told '' and had `` desperately '' called her a liar . `` How disrespectful , '' the announcer says . `` And how Gov. Sarah Palin proves them wrong , every day . '' Obama never made any of the statements the McCain camp released to support the ad , and the comment that Palin was `` good-looking '' was made by the Democratic vice presidential nominee , Sen. Joe Biden , in a self-deprecating joke when he was asked what the obvious differences were between the two vice presidential nominees . Watch the McCain ad '' Biden repeatedly has said on the campaign trail that he respected Palin and that he thought she was qualified for the vice presidency . FactCheck.org pointed out the quote from an Obama adviser that Palin was doing `` what she was told '' was taken out of context . The quote is taken from the response of Obama 's chief strategist , David Axelrod , in which he said Palin had misrepresented Obama 's legislative record . `` Maybe that 's what she was told '' about his voting record , Axelrod said . The Obama campaign , meanwhile , launched two television ads Friday . In one , the campaign paints McCain as being out of touch by showing pictures of him when he first entered the Senate in 1982 as disco music plays . The ad also highlights McCain 's own admissions that he lacks computer skills and does not use e-mail . Watch the Obama ad attacking McCain '' In the second Obama ad , the candidate himself appears . `` We 've heard a lot of talk about change this year . The question is , change to what ? '' Obama asks . The ads come as Obama 's campaign manager , David Plouffe , issued a tough memo to reporters that accused McCain and his campaign of turning to `` smears , lies and cynical attempts to distract from the issues . '' CNN 's Peter Hamby , Ed Hornick and Rebecca Sinderbrand contributed to this report .", "question": "Details of what emberged regarding Sarah Palin ?", "answer": "extent of the Alaska governor 's foreign travel"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A bill moving through Congress is intended , on its surface at least , to do something relatively simple : Crack down on the illegal pirating of movies , music and other copyrighted material . But a major online backlash has evolved , with everyone from lawmakers to Web-freedom advocates to some of technology 's biggest players calling it a greedy and dangerous overreach that could have a chilling effect on free speech and innovation . Google , Yahoo and Facebook are among the Web heavyweights who have joined the chorus against the Stop Online Piracy Act -LRB- SOPA -RRB- , which backers hope to have ready for a vote by the end of the year . Its intent is to help put a stop to foreign websites that illegally post , and sometimes sell , intellectual property from the United States . Federal law-enforcement agencies would be empowered to shut down those sites , and cut off advertising and online payments to them . `` The Stop Online Piracy Act helps stop the flow of revenue to rogue websites and ensures that the profits from American innovations go to American innovators , '' Rep. Lamar Smith , a Texas Republican , chairman of the powerful House Judiciary committee and the sponsor of the plan , said when the bill was introduced last month . `` The bill prevents online thieves from selling counterfeit goods in the U.S. , expands international protections for intellectual property , and protects American consumers from dangerous counterfeit products . '' Its supporters include some powerful lobbying groups , including the Motion Picture Association of America , the pharmaceutical industry and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce . On the other side are Web-freedom advocates , who were quick to say the effort goes too far . And this week , in the wake of a Wednesday hearing on the plan , that discontent grew louder and more widespread . `` Our government is tampering with its basic structure so people will maybe buy more Hollywood movies , '' says an animated video by Kirby Ferguson , the New York filmmaker behind the Web video series `` Everything Is a Remix , '' that is making the rounds online . `` But Hollywood movies do n't get grassroots candidates elected . They do n't overthrow corrupt regimes , and the entire entertainment industry does n't even contribute that much to our economy . The Internet does all these and more . '' Perhaps tellingly , that video was made in response to an earlier bill proposed in the Senate , which has since been put on hold by its sponsor . Ferguson has since added a message at the end of the video saying the issue has `` gotten much worse . '' Some critics fear that enforcement of the act is ill-defined and could allow federal authorities to go after sites that do n't set out to illegally broadcast or sell content . For example , advocates say , YouTube has housed important content , like video of political unrest in places like Egypt and Iran where government crackdowns had otherwise blocked media access . But YouTube also is home , albeit against its will , to music videos , movie clips and other content posted without the intent of its creators . Under SOPA , they say , a fledgling YouTube could have been shut down because of those posts . This week , a letter opposing the House and Senate bills was sent to Congress , signed off on by AOL , eBay , Facebook , Google , LinkedIn , Mozilla , Twitter , Yahoo and Zynga . `` We support the bills ' stated goals -- providing additional enforcement tools to combat foreign ` rogue ' websites that are dedicated to copyright infringement or counterfeiting , '' the letter reads . `` Unfortunately , the bills as drafted would expose law-abiding U.S. Internet and technology companies to new uncertain liabilities , private rights of action and technology mandates that would require monitoring of websites . `` We are concerned that these measures pose a serious risk to our industry 's continued track record of innovation and job-creation , as well as to our nation 's cybersecurity . '' To coincide with Wednesday 's committee hearing , many websites devoted themselves to drawing attention to the debate . Blog platform Tumblr blacked out images in users ' posts with a message urging users to `` Stop The Law That Will Censor The Internet ! '' A post on Tumblr 's staff blog claimed users flooded House lawmakers Wednesday with 87,834 phone calls protesting the bill . The backlash seems to be spreading to the halls of Congress . On Thursday , House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi , D-California , announced her opposition to the plan on Twitter . `` Need to find a better solution than #SOPA #DontBreakTheInternet , '' she wrote , using hashtags that opponents have used to show their disapproval on the site . Even Pelosi 's opponents from the other side of the ideological aisle agreed with her . Influential California Republican Rep. Darrell Issa joined other conservative lawmakers , including presidential candidates Michele Bachmann and Ron Paul , in opposing the proposed law . `` I do n't believe this bill has any chance on the House floor , '' Issa told The Hill on Wednesday . `` I think it 's way too extreme , it infringes on too many areas that our leadership will know is simply too dangerous to do in its current form . ''", "question": "Who opposed The Stop Internet Piracy act ?", "answer": "Google , Yahoo and Facebook"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Some Democrats appear to be wavering on a highly contentious House resolution labeling Turkey 's treatment of Armenians in World War I as genocide . A KC-135 tanker lands at Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey in 2003 . Turkey , a longtime U.S. ally and NATO partner , was incensed by the resolution calling the killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks genocide and threatened to block access to Incirlik Air Base after the resolution passed a House committee vote . The base , in southern Turkey near Syria , is a major resupply center for U.S. operations in Iraq and elsewhere in the Mideast and Asia . The Pentagon is preparing to set up new supply routes for troops in Iraq if Turkey cuts off U.S. access to the strategically important Incirlik , military officials said Tuesday . Ankara acknowledges the killings of Armenians during World War I but vehemently objects to the `` genocide '' label . The House Foreign Affairs Committee last week adopted the nonbinding resolution . House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she would bring the measure to a vote of the full House sometime next month . But the Bush administration urged Congress to drop the issue , and some leading Democrats urged Pelosi not to bring it to the floor . Majority Leader Steny Hoyer signaled Tuesday that the vote might be put off . `` I said I thought we would bring this up prior to us leaving here , '' said Hoyer of Maryland . `` I have not changed on that , although I would be less than candid to say that there are a number of people who are revisiting their own positions . We will have to determine where everybody is . '' Democratic Rep. Ike Skelton , the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee , announced his opposition to the resolution last week . And Democratic Reps. Alcee Hastings of Florida and John Tanner of Tennessee , both members of the U.S. House delegation to NATO , urged Pelosi to reconsider in a letter released Tuesday . `` More than half of the cargo flown into Iraq and Afghanistan comes through Incirlik Air Base , and this base would be a key component of any plans for redeployment of our troops in the future , '' they wrote . Lt. Gen. Carter Ham , the director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff , said Pentagon planners are looking at `` a broad range of options '' to keep food , fuel and ammunition flowing to U.S. troops in Iraq if Turkey blocks Incirlik . `` We 're confident that we 'll find ways to do that , '' Ham told reporters at the Pentagon . `` There 's likely to be some increased cost and some other implications for that , and obviously we 'd prefer to maintain the access that we have . '' Defense Secretary Robert Gates echoed lawmakers ' concerns last week . `` About 70 percent of all air cargo going into Iraq goes through Turkey . ... About a third of the fuel that they consume goes through Turkey or comes from Turkey , '' Gates said . He also said that 95 percent of the Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protective vehicles , or MRAPs , being deployed in Iraq are flown through Turkey . The vehicles are built to withstand roadside bombs . See Incirlik 's key location '' The U.S. military issued a `` warning order '' a few days ago to ensure that alternative air crews , planes , fuel and routes are lined up if Turkey stops or restricts U.S. access to Incirlik , a source said . Jordan and Kuwait are among the alternatives the United States is considering . Some fear pursuit of the resolution would also embolden the Turks to attack Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq which could further complicate Iraqi stability , U.S. officials said . Incirlik offers 10,000 - and 9,000-foot runways and 57 hardened aircraft shelters , according Globalsecurity.org , a source of background information about military issues . Globalsecurity said Incirlik has become a hub for cargo shipments to Iraq , taking over for Rhein-Main Air Base in Germany because it is closer to Iraq , reducing the strain on troops and aircraft . E-mail to a friend CNN 's Barbara Starr and Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report .", "question": "what is incirlik air base ?", "answer": "is a major resupply center for U.S. operations in Iraq and elsewhere in the Mideast and Asia"}, {"story_text": "Cairo -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Military police poured into Cairo 's Tahrir Square on Wednesday in hopes of stopping clashes between protesters and police , as the Egyptian government said a truce had been declared through a group of clerics . The truce lasted about three hours . CNN saw military police lined up , separating protesters from the police . But after a period of calm , some protesters began throwing rocks at soldiers . Riot police responded with tear gas ; the unrest continued late Wednesday . Some army soldiers tried to stop security forces from shooting tear gas , but they were outnumbered . On state-run TV , the government said religious scholars were on their way `` to form a human shield between the protesters and the security forces . '' CNN saw no sign of a human shield of clerics . But along the barricades separating protesters from security forces , some clerics were talking to protesters , trying to negotiate . Egypt 's grand mufti , the country 's highest religious official , called on police to put down their weapons and `` never aim '' firearms at the Egyptian people . In an audio message aired by Egyptian state TV , he called for a `` peaceful protest for Egypt 's sake . '' Protesters reached Fahmi Street , which leads to the Interior Ministry , and were trying to surround the ministry , state-run Al-Masriya TV said . Earlier , police pulled back from Mohamed Mahmoud Street , the site of clashes throughout the five days of the latest uprising . Adel Saeed , spokesman for the Egyptian general prosecutor 's office , said `` a truce has been reached between the protesters and the security forces at the Ministry of Interior through several leading religious scholars . '' It was not immediately clear who may have been represented in the discussions to which Saeed referred . Mohamed Mahmoud Street leads from Tahrir Square -- the center of the protests that toppled Hosni Mubarak as president in February and of the most recent demonstrations -- toward the Interior Ministry . During a lull in the street battles earlier Wednesday , CNN saw riot police embracing and kissing some young people who were taking part in the demonstrations . Minutes later , rocks and tear gas were in the air again . Protesters erected barriers using debris from burned-out cars and large trash bins in case the battles resumed . Crowds have packed Tahrir Square since Saturday , calling for the nation 's military rulers to step down immediately . The demonstrations Wednesday were a vociferous rejection of Mohamed Hussein Tantawi , field marshal of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces , who delivered an address Tuesday aimed at calming the protests . `` The people demand the downfall of the council of shame , '' some demonstrators chanted Wednesday . Through the state-run news agency MENA , the government said that the army was `` exerting all efforts to stop bloodshed of Egyptians '' and that the military had deployed three armored vehicles to Mohamed Mahmoud Street . The death toll in the latest clashes has risen to 35 , including 31 people in Cairo and four in other cities , state-run television said Wednesday . The number of wounded is up to 3,250 , according to Hisham Sheeha , spokesman for Egypt 's Health Ministry . Saeed , of the Egyptian general prosecutor 's office , said 312 people had been arrested since Saturday . Security forces could be seen making arrests Wednesday . Egyptian-American filmmaker Jehane Noujaim was among those arrested , according to Karim Amer , a film producer who said he was with her when she was filming events close to the Interior Ministry . `` The military started firing tear gas so we all ran in different directions and I lost her , '' Amer said . `` She called me and said she was arrested by military . '' A CNN e-mail to noujaimfilms.com , which lists Noujaim as director , was not immediately returned . Meanwhile , the mother of one of the three American students detained in Egypt said Wednesday that she was able to speak to him briefly in a telephone call arranged by U.S. diplomats . `` He sounded scared , but he said he was OK , '' Joy Sweeney said of her son , Derrik Sweeney , one of three American college students being held for questioning in an Egyptian courthouse , accused by authorities of throwing Molotov cocktails in Tahrir Square . The students will be detained another four days as an investigation continues , said a spokesman for the office of Egypt 's general prosecutor . An official from the U.S. consular office visited the students , said U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Katharina Gollner-Sweet . The chaos and fighting have raised new questions about Egypt 's future less than a week before parliamentary elections are set to begin . U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay called on Egypt `` to end the clearly excessive use of force . '' `` Some of the images coming out of Tahrir , including the brutal beating of already subdued protesters , are deeply shocking , as are the reports of unarmed protesters being shot in the head , '' Pillay said in a statement . `` There should be a prompt , impartial and independent investigation , and accountability for those found responsible for the abuses that have taken place should be ensured . '' After Mubarak 's ouster , military leaders took control with the promise that eventually a civilian government would be elected and take over . Demonstrators say they are concerned the military , which would continue to be Egypt 's top authority until a president is in place , wants to keep a grip on the country . Many also have voiced anger about a proposed constitutional change that would shield the military 's budget from scrutiny by civilian powers . They say they worry the military would become a state within a state . Members of the nation 's Cabinet offered to resign Monday , with one minister citing concern over the violence in Tahrir Square . Tantawi of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces said the resignations were accepted , but the current government will remain as a caretaker until a prime minister is named to form a new government . Speaking Tuesday on Egyptian TV , Tantawi said the armed forces were `` only concerned about the security of the country and the interests of the country , '' and want to `` establish democracy for the people of Egypt . '' CNN 's Saad Abedine , Mohamed Fadel Fahmy and Josh Levs and journalists Ian Lee and Mohamed Fadel Fahmy contributed to this report .", "question": "What did Egypt 's grand mufi call on police to do ?", "answer": "to put down their weapons and `` never aim '' firearms at the Egyptian people"}, {"story_text": "Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- All Cedric wanted was lunch . A 14-year old student in a special education classroom in Texas , Cedric was living with a foster family because of a history of neglect , including malnutrition . But on this day in 2002 , his teacher tried to punish him by withholding food , despite the abuse he had suffered as a young child . Cedric 's teacher delayed his lunch for hours to discipline him for refusing to do his work . When he would n't comply , his teacher put him in a face down restraint and sat on him in front of his classmates . Cedric said repeatedly that he could not breathe . He died minutes later on the classroom floor . Cedric 's tragic story is n't an isolated case in America 's schools today . According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office , over the last 20 years there have been hundreds of allegations of school personnel using restraint and seclusion in abusive ways on children . It 's happening disproportionately to students with disabilities , often at the hands of untrained staff . Many of these students bear haunting physical and emotional scars . And in a number of cases , students have died . It 's difficult to believe , but there are no federal laws to prevent this from happening . Local newspapers recount bone-chilling stories of schoolchildren tied to chairs , or with their mouths taped shut , sometimes locked in dark closets , or pinned to the floor for hours at a time . If parents treat their kids this way , it 's considered a criminal offense . But unlike in hospitals and other institutions that receive federal taxpayer funding , there are no federal protections against these abusive practices when they happen in schools . The Children 's Health Act of 2000 regulates how and when restraint and seclusion can be used in medical settings and community facilities . But classrooms , where students spend the majority of their day , are exempt . In the absence of a federal standard , state protections for kids are all over the map . Many states have no regulations whatsoever . Children are left vulnerable and staff untrained . Restraint and seclusion techniques should be used only as a last resort , when someone is in imminent danger of physical injury and there are no alternatives . Without proper training , staff can be hurt and students , especially small children , are at risk . Yet the GAO and news reports confirm that these practices are used frequently , often as discipline , when students are n't physically aggressive . While there is no centralized reporting , data from the few states that do track incidents paints a troubling picture . In the 2007-2008 school year in California alone , the GAO reports , there were more than 14,300 cases of restraint , seclusion and other `` emergency interventions . '' We do n't know how many of these merited real emergencies . In one California case , Paige , a young girl with Asperger 's syndrome , was restrained in class because she was wiggling her loose tooth . Her mother , who had never consented to physical interventions , had no idea restraint was regularly imposed until her daughter came home with bruises . As parents , when we send our children to school , we expect they will be safe from danger . And when the very people we entrust with our children 's well-being inflict this type of abuse , it 's not just the victims and their families who suffer . It hurts their classmates , who witness these terrifying events . It undermines the vast majority of teachers and staff who are trying to give students a quality education . It 's a nightmare for everyone involved . The easy answer here would be to blame teachers . But it would be the wrong one . Ultimately , the root of this problem has been our system-wide failure to provide direction and enforcement . As long as school systems continue to lack the tools they need to create good policies and properly train staff , these incidents will continue . The solution is a balanced approach to make classrooms safe for students and teachers . With that goal in mind , on Wednesday we are introducing legislation to finally ensure that schools in every state have the resources they need to prevent inappropriate restraint and seclusion . Our bill would set minimum safety standards in schools , similar to the protections children already receive in other institutions , so that states can ensure appropriate school district policies . It would limit physical restraints or locked seclusion to situations involving imminent danger , and require staff to be trained in administering these practices . It would outlaw mechanical restraints , such as strapping kids to chairs , and prohibit restraints that restrict breathing . It will increase transparency and oversight , so we will finally know just how widespread these practices are , and provide the Secretary of Education with tools to enforce the law . And it would give schools the support they need to equip their staff to handle difficult situations in the most positive manner possible . In a time of deep partisan divide , some may wonder what prompted strange bedfellows -- a member of Democratic leadership and a member of Republican leadership -- to team up . It 's as simple as this : Schools are places for our children to learn , grow , and thrive . As a nation we must do better . It 's time to ensure that no child in this country suffers the same fate as Cedric . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of U.S. Reps. George Miller and Cathy McMorris Rodgers .", "question": "What representatives are most concerned ?", "answer": "U.S. Reps. George Miller and Cathy McMorris Rodgers"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A new flow of oil emerged from BP 's damaged undersea well in the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday evening after a remote-controlled submarine successfully cut into the well 's riser pipe . BP used robots in its latest attempt to curtail the flow of crude from the largest spill in U.S. history , which spread to barrier islands off Alabama and Mississippi on Tuesday . When the robot submarines cut into the undersea well 's riser pipe , a fresh spew of oil temporarily obscured the view of the mechanical arm . The cut was a first step toward placing a cap over the well that has spewed hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico every day since late April . BP expects to make more cuts to the riser before bringing in a diamond saw to make a clean cut where the cap will be fitted . Doug Suttles , the company 's chief operating officer , told CNN 's `` John King USA '' that the procedure should collect the `` vast majority '' of the oil if it succeeds . `` We 'll be putting the cap assembly , loading that out and sending it to the sea bed later tonight , '' Suttles said . `` We should be able to install this tomorrow . And hopefully by late tomorrow or Thursday , we should have this thing operating . '' But the operation carries the risk that the flow of crude from the ruptured well could increase by up to 20 percent once the damaged riser is cut away . The job already has been complicated by pipework around the well that has had to be removed before massive metal shears could be brought to bear Tuesday evening , Suttles said . The gusher may not be shut down until August , when BP expects to complete relief wells that will take the pressure off the one now spewing into the Gulf . The 5,000-foot-deep well erupted after an explosion and fire aboard the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig on April 20 . The rig sank two days later , taking 11 men with it and leaving up to 19,000 barrels -LRB- 798,000 gallons -RRB- of oil pouring into the Gulf , according to federal estimates . After fouling sections of Louisiana 's marshes over the past two weeks , the oil was spreading toward the northeast on Tuesday . Tar balls and patches of reddish-brown `` weathered '' oil came ashore on Dauphin Island , Alabama , south of Mobile , and on Mississippi 's Petit Bois Island , off Pascagoula , authorities reported . Oil hits Alabama , Mississippi barrier islands More than a dozen miles offshore , researchers from the Dauphin Island Sea Lab reported seeing more rust-colored swaths of oil spattering the surface of the Gulf . They ranged from the size of half-dollar coins to 30 or 40 feet long , said John Dindo , the laboratory 's associate director . BP 's handling of the spill has been sharply criticized by members of Congress , officials in the Gulf states and the Obama administration , which announced Tuesday that a criminal investigation of the spill was under way . In addition , federal officials will no longer hold joint news briefings with the company , the administration announced . Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen , the government 's point man on the spill , will now become the face of the response effort . Allen told reporters in New Orleans , Louisiana , that his job is to speak `` very frankly with the American public . '' Rear Adm. Mary Landry , who has been the Coast Guard 's on-scene coordinator for five weeks , will be returning to her duties as chief of the service 's New Orleans district office . Allen praised Landry 's work leading `` an anomalous and unprecedented response '' to the spill , but said Landry now needs to focus `` on the larger array of threats '' to her district -- including this summer 's Atlantic hurricane season , which began Tuesday . In Louisiana , Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser warned that a hurricane in the area could drive more oil ashore . `` We do n't want to scare anybody , but we need to be realistic about it , '' Nungesser said . `` If a storm does top out levees , it will probably bring oil with it . '' He said residents who evacuate ahead of a hurricane might return `` not to a flooded home , but to a home that is completely contaminated with this oil . '' Oil spill darkens hurricane fears Tuesday also marked the start of the recreational fishing season for red snapper , a big draw for sport anglers in the region . But the season opened with a new blow to the region 's fisheries industry as the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration extended its restrictions on fishing to almost a third of the Gulf . The closures extend southward to a point about 240 miles west of the tip of Florida and eastward to federal waters off the Alabama-Florida state line . The state of Mississippi announced a closure of some of its inland waterways to fishing after oil was found in the area . The closed area includes areas east of 88 degrees , 40 minutes west longitude , and south of the CSX Railroad , but not including Graveline Bayou and its tributaries . After a meeting with state attorneys general and federal prosecutors from Louisiana , Alabama and Mississippi , U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder told reporters that the Justice Department was looking at possible criminal violations in connection with the spill . Justice Department launches investigation `` If we find evidence of illegal behavior , we will be forceful in our response , '' Holder said . `` We have already instructed all relevant parties to preserve any documents that may shed light on the facts surrounding this disaster . '' In a statement issued in response to Holder 's announcement , BP said it would cooperate with any inquiry , `` just as we are doing in response to the other inquires that are already ongoing . '' Suttles told CNN that there have been `` very few differences '' between company and federal officials working to cut off the spill . `` This is a team that 's really all aligned on the same goals and has been since the beginning , '' he said . `` The government clearly presses us very hard to make sure we 're responding as quick as we can . We 're moving things forward , we 're applying all the resources that we need to apply . But I would stress at the working level , those differences are really quite small . '' BP , rig owner Transocean Ltd. and oilfield services company Halliburton have blamed each other for the disaster . But BP , as the well 's owner , is responsible for the costs of the cleanup under federal law , and Suttles said the company has now spent more than $ 1 billion to clean up the oil . BP stock has taken a beating on Wall Street , plunging on Tuesday after the failure of last week 's `` top kill '' attempt to close the well . The company 's stock value is down more than a third since the spill began . CNN 's David Mattingly , Tracy Sabo , Patrick Oppmann , Scott Bronstein and Aaron Cooper contributed to this report .", "question": "How much of the Gulf is off-limits to fishing ?", "answer": "almost a third of the"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- InStyle.com -RRB- -- This year , the Emmy Awards come on the heels of New York Fashion Week . How does the red carpet measure up to the runway ? `` The Spring and Fall collections were all about loose shapes and subtle , restrained sensuality , '' says Hal Rubenstein , InStyle Fashion Director and author of the upcoming `` 100 Unforgettable Dresses . '' `` On the other end of the spectrum , 10 out of 10 celebrities we loved on the Emmy 's red carpet are wearing body conscious gowns . '' Sofia Vergara `` Modern Family 's '' Sofia Vergara struck a pose on the Emmys carpet in a curve-hugging scarlet Vera Wang creation , which she accessorized with stunning emerald earrings . `` The most exciting part of my outfit is my Colombian emeralds , '' the outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series nominee said of her ensemble . See all the best-dressed stars on the Emmys red carpet Julianna Margulies Nominee and presenter Julianna Margulies chose a strapless white Armani Priv\u00e9 couture gown featuring a jewel-dotted bodice . `` The Good Wife '' star admitted that it was n't easy getting to the red carpet , though she picked her look the night before . InStyle.com : Top fashion and jewelry trends at the Emmys Minka Kelly Presenter Minka Kelly chose a navy Christian Dior gown , which featured lace sleeves and insets . Hairstylist Mark Townsend gave her a chic low side chignon , while makeup artist Matthew VanLeeuwen painted on perfect smoky eyes and a pink lip stain . Nina Dobrev Vampire Diaries beauty Nina Dobrev looked elegant in a strapless , form-fitting red Donna Karan gown , Neil Lane jewels , Brian Atwood stilettos and a Judith Leiber clutch . InStyle.com : Best hair and makeup at the Emmys Evan Rachel Wood `` I put it on and it immediately fit , '' the `` Mildred Pierce '' star said of her black sequin Elie Saab gown . `` I did n't have to do a thing to it . I have to give it back that 's the only unfortunate part . '' The outstanding supporting actress nominee completed her look with Fred Leighton jewels , Salvatore Ferragamo shoes and a Judith Leiber bag . Kerry Washington Presenter Kerry Washington wore a red beaded , strapless Zuhair Murad gown with a fitted silhouette . She finished the look with a matching crimson Jimmy Choo clutch and shoes . Kristen Wiig Funnylady Kristen Wiig paired her cinched waist , chocolate ombr\u00e9 Zac Posen design with weighty gold Fred Leighton bangles.The outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series nominee left her caramel-highlighted strands down and loose to complement the rich brown tones in her gown . Amy Poehler `` Parks and Recreation '' star Amy Poehler accessorized her glittering blue Peter Som gown with ball drop earrings , a matching ring , and a Judith Leiber clutch . The Most Fashionable TV Shows of All Time Julie Bowen `` I ca n't believe I 'm wearing Oscar de la Renta , '' the `` Modern Family '' star and Emmy nominee said about her metallic gown with the plunging neckline . `` It 's always been a little bit of a dream . '' Her low side ponytail showed off her stunning Neil Lane drop earrings . Kate Winslet `` I 'm wearing a really comfortable Elie Saab dress . I like it a lot , '' Kate Winslet said of her vibrant curve-conscious Emmys look . The outstanding lead actress in a miniseries nominee teased her blond waves into a loose updo , and accessorized with diamond drop earrings , a matching bracelet and a sleek clutch . Check out all of the night 's top looks at InStyle.com . Get a FREE TRIAL issue of InStyle - CLICK HERE !", "question": "What actors did Modern Family feature ?", "answer": "Sofia Vergara"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- Entertainment Weekly -RRB- -- It could n't top its predecessors , but `` X-Men Origins : Wolverine '' still brought in quite a haul , grossing an estimated $ 87 million for the opening weekend of the summer movie season . Hugh Jackman stars as the title character in `` X-Men Origins : Wolverine . '' The Hugh Jackman pic brought in a strong $ 21,225 per-theater average in 4,099 movie houses , despite generating mixed reviews . The film fell $ 15 million short of 2006 's `` X-Men : The Last Stand '' but it is still an enormous success for Jackman and director Gavin Hood . Matthew McConaughey 's `` Ghosts of Girlfriends Past '' generated an estimated $ 15.3 million for a second place bow . It 's not a shabby opening but it is far less than McConaughey 's previous romantic outings including last year 's `` Fool 's Gold '' -LRB- $ 21.6 million -RRB- or 2006 's `` Failure to Launch '' -LRB- $ 24.2 million -RRB- . -LRB- Perhaps women were too busy checking out all those hunky mutants this weekend ? -RRB- The two new openers did help the industry maintain its year-over-year increase of 16 percent . Also aiding that statistic was Beyonce Knowles ' `` Obsessed . '' Dropping a not-surprising 57 percent for its second weekend in theaters , the thriller earned another $ 12.2 million to put its ten-day gross at a shockingly strong $ 47 million . And Zac Efron 's `` 17 Again '' showed surprising stamina , too , grossing an additional $ 6.3 million its third weekend for a total take of $ 48.4 million . The other new wide release for the weekend was the anemic 3-D animated sci-fi film `` Battle for Terra . '' Opening on 1162 theaters , the Justin Long , Evan Rachel Wood-voiced feature proved to be little competition for the other 3-D movie in the marketplace . Dreamworks Animation 's juggernaut `` Monsters vs. Aliens '' grossed another $ 5.8 million its sixth weekend for the fifth slot in the rankings , while newcomer `` Terra '' could n't muster more than $ 1 million for a twelfth place in the box office derby . Summer has officially begun -- at least in Hollywood -- so expect a giant event film every weekend . Wolverine may have bowed mightily but with `` Star Trek '' hot on its heels next weekend , the Marvel superhero is going to need more than adamantium to maintain its box office lead . CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly", "question": "How much did Wolverine take at the box office ?", "answer": "an estimated $ 87 million"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Four years ago , Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei kissed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on the cheek before he was sworn in as Iran 's new leader . Mahmoud Ahmadinejad could be in for a rocky second term as Iranian president , analysts say . Song and prayer heralded a new start for Iran with the hard-line Tehran mayor , virtually unknown to the outside world in 2005 . He promised to stamp out corruption and fight for justice . With time , the world came to know the Iranian leader with his signature beige jacket and combative -- often anti-Israeli -- rhetoric . Monday , Iran 's supreme leader endorsed Ahmadinejad for a second term in office , but there was no hug or kiss this time around . Video from the event shows Ahmadinejad leaning toward Khamenei before the supreme leader raises his left hand to block him , leaving Ahmadinejad to gingerly kiss the cleric 's robe . The awkward scene seemed to only bolster the tensions that have emerged in the once strong relationship . Under Iran 's constitution , the incoming president must receive the supreme leader 's approval before being sworn into office . Khamenei 's endorsement is the first step in that process . On Wednesday , Ahmadinejad will take the oath of office before Parliament . But he will begin his second term in a deeply fractured Iran , one in which the conservative leader finds himself under assault from the legions of pro-democracy supporters and the nation 's powerful clerical establishment . Given the unprecedented fissures in Iranian society , some longtime scholars and observers now doubt whether Ahmadinejad will finish his second term in office . Some question whether the clerical establishment will sacrifice him in order to save the Islamic republic . Ahmadinejad 's main political problem is `` legitimacy , '' said Alex Vatanka , senior Middle East analyst at IHS Jane 's , a provider of defense and security information . `` Can you operate for four years with huge questions over whether you are the rightful president ? '' Vatanka said . `` I think that would undermine everything he does . '' Ahmadinejad was declared the winner of Iran 's June 12 election , but thousands took to the streets in the aftermath to protest what they believed was a rigged vote . They chanted the name of Ahmadinejad 's chief rival , reformist Mir Hossein Moussavi , the crowds a sea of green , the color of the opposition candidate 's campaign . Since then , widespread demonstrations have plagued Iran 's leaders , who have ordered security forces to crack down swiftly and violently . Iranians have been arrested and jailed , their treatment condemned by global human rights organizations such as Amnesty International . Khamenei stood by his president , but strains in the relationship have surfaced in recent days after Ahmadinejad refused at first to heed the supreme leader 's orders to change a controversial vice-presidential pick . Iran 's clerics have made it known they would like Ahmadinejad `` to remain a powerful and popular president '' and reminded Iran that the supreme leader 's word is the last one in the Islamic Republic . On the eve of his inauguration , Ahmadinejad sought to downplay any rift . In a public address , he compared his relationship with Khamenei to that of a father and son . But Kazem Alamdari , lecturer in sociology at California State University , Northridge , said Ahmadinejad has alienated the clerics just as he has the reformists . Alamdari said Ahmadinejad risks losing conservative supporters who may feel that Iran 's system has been placed in danger and that the situation has `` created an atmosphere for external forces to attack Iran . '' If convinced the system is truly threatened , Khamenei could use his power to dismiss Ahmadinejad , Alamdari said . It would n't be the first time a supreme leader has made such a move . The Islamic Society of Engineers , a conservative group and ally of Ahmadinejad , in a statement warned that he could suffer the same fate as Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadeq . He lost the support of the clerics , consequently the people , and eventually was deposed in a 1953 CIA-backed coup . Iran 's first president after the 1979 Islamic revolution , Abolhassan Bani-Sadr , was forced to flee the country after he stood against the clerics , including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini . The Islamic Society of Engineers statement asked Ahmadinejad for `` absolute obedience of the supreme leader . '' Adding to Ahmadinejad 's political worries is a faltering economy . The world may have viewed Iran 's June 12 vote through the prism of individual freedoms and nuclear weapons , but most Iranians paid close attention to a staggering inflation rate , double-digit unemployment and the expenditure of oil revenue . With oil prices plummeting to below $ 40 a barrel , the Iranian government may be facing unsustainable budget deficits . Some analysts said the president 's first-term economic mismanagement had already earned him the ire of the establishment , long before any controversy erupted over his political legitimacy . One scholar , who is currently in Iran and did not want be identified for safety reasons , said it is increasingly clear the regime has not chalked out a perfect path to the future -- and how long Ahmadinejad will be along for the ride . Vatanka said Ahmadinejad lacks the political mindset for consensus and collaboration . But what empowers him may be his belief in himself . And one other weapon : he thinks God is on his side .", "question": "What was Ahmadinejad to be sworn in as ?", "answer": "as Iran 's new leader"}, {"story_text": "ORANGE COUNTY , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- One of the larger fires in Southern California was deliberately started by someone with apparent knowledge of arson , a fire official said Thursday . Firefighter Luke Perisin sets a backfire Wednesday against the Santiago Fire in Live Oak Canyon , California . The Santiago Fire in Orange County was started in two places along a little-traveled road , according to Chief Chip Prather of the county 's fire authority . The fire , which has burned more than 25,000 acres , was started in brush just off Santiago Canyon Road , not close to homes . It spread rapidly , indicating the arsonist had some knowledge of winds and other factors . `` It is a confirmed arson . There was evidence found at the scene . That is the purpose of our early declaration of it being an arson-caused fire , '' Prather said . He would not describe the evidence . Watch how the evidence points to arson '' Prather said officials originally thought the fire had three points of origin instead of two . The Santiago Fire 's points of origin are considered crime scenes , said Jim Amornino , a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff 's Department . The reward for information leading to an arrest has increased to $ 250,000 -- $ 50,000 each from the governor 's office , the U.S. agency of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives , and the FBI , Prather said . KFI radio has chipped in another $ 100,000 , the sheriff 's department said . The state established a toll-free arson tip line at 800-540-7085 . Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said anyone convicted of arson would be dealt with harshly . If a suspect is to be found , `` it 's going to be by a clue from the public , '' said county Sheriff Mike Corona . About 1,100 firefighters were working on controlling the Santiago Fire , which has destroyed at least 22 structures , according to Orange County Fire Battalion Chief Kris Concepcion . The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said the fire was only 30 percent contained Thursday morning after being 50 percent contained the day before . Watch the Santiago flames rage '' The motive of the Santiago Fire 's arsonist was a mystery to Concepcion . `` That 's the part that I really ca n't figure out , to tell you the truth , '' he told CNN . `` That individual knew on Sunday when this fire started that we had , really , the perfect storm , if you will . We had the heavy Santa Ana winds , we had the low relative humidities , we had the high temperatures . `` And then for someone to even think about doing something as reprehensible as starting a fire where they knew the fire would grow as rapidly as it would -- traveling about three , 3 1/2 miles in about an hour -- is just really absolutely unconscionable , '' he said . The smaller Rosa Fire in Riverside County , 100 percent contained at 411 acres Thursday morning , was also probably arson , state officials said . Meanwhile , Los Angeles Fire Department investigators are looking into whether a man who was arrested on suspicion of arson in the San Fernando Valley may have had a role in any of the ongoing blazes , an L.A. police spokeswoman said . Catalino Pineda , 41 , was arrested Wednesday , Officer Kate Lopez told CNN . Witnesses told police they saw him lighting a fire on a hillside in the West Hills area of San Fernando -- northwest of Los Angeles -- then walking away , Lopez said . Pineda was already on probation for `` making excessive false emergency reports '' to police at the time of the arrest , Lopez said . His bail has been set at $ 75,000 , she said . The fire he allegedly set was brought under control , but now authorities want to find out if he had any role in the other wildfires . In San Bernardino County , John Alfred Rund , 48 , was arrested Tuesday evening and charged with setting a small fire along a rural roadside near Victorville . Rund was to be arraigned Thursday morning in Victorville . He was being held in lieu of $ 750,000 bail . The county 's district attorney 's office on Thursday also filed arson charges against Anthony Riperti , 47 , of Redlands . A statement from the office did not say when or where Riperti is accused of setting a fire . He is being held on $ 250,000 bail and will be arraigned later Thursday . The San Diego County Sheriff 's Department also arrested an adult and a juvenile accused by an anonymous tipster of starting a fire in Vista in the northern part of the county . In a written statement , the sheriff 's department identified the adult as Gorgonio Nava . The Vista Fire Department extinguished the blaze before it grew out of control , the statement said . Investigators have determined that the Grass Valley Fire in San Bernardino County was not caused by arson , and a preliminary investigation into the cause of the 10,152-acre Slide Fire seems to indicate arson was not a factor , sheriff 's spokeswoman Cindy Beaver said . E-mail to a friend", "question": "In how many places , did the fire started ?", "answer": "was started in two places"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- AOL Autos -RRB- -- Automotive expert Tom Torbjornsen answers a question about how to diagnose an exhaust problem and what to do about it . Dear Tom , Smoke is coming out of the tailpipe of my 2002 Chrysler Sebring with 90,000 miles . Is this a big problem ? I have to put a quart of oil a week in the engine . What should I do ? -- Sally , New York Sally , Generally , engines burn oil due to a few reasons : bad valve seals , worn valve guides , pressurized crankcase -LRB- oil pan -RRB- due to a clogged PCV valve or breather system , and blow-by from worn piston rings . Bad valve seals : The valves are located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber . Oil is pumped at 40 to 80 PSI -LRB- pounds/square inch -RRB- of pressure into the top of the head , lubricating the valve-train . The valves have seals to stop the flow of oil down into the engine when the valve is open . If the seals fail then oil is allowed to flow down into the combustion chamber and is burned . Worn valve guides : A small cylindrical chamber called a valve guide does just what its name says ... it guides the valves . These guides wear out over time causing eccentricity -LRB- slop -RRB- . The excess gap that forms allows oil to flow down the valve stem into the combustion chamber to be burned . Normally the valve seal stops this flow . However , in this case the gap is too great for the seal to work . AOL Autos : Should you use synthetic motor oil ? Pressurized crankcase due to clogged PCV or breather system : Your car 's engine is a giant air pump , consequently it must breathe . The PCV -LRB- Positive Crankcase Ventilation -RRB- system allows the engine to exhaust the excess pressure buildup -LRB- which is a natural phenomenon of the internal combustion engine -RRB- . Carbon is a by-product of an engine and can build up in the PCV system , clogging the breathing passages . This in turn pressurizes the oil pan and pushes oil up into the fuel delivery system where it is fed into the engine and burned . AOL Autos : Do I need to replace my air filter ? Blow-by from worn piston rings : The pistons in your car 's engine have seals around them in the form of rings . These rings have two functions : -LRB- 1 -RRB- they seal the combustion chamber so that the power developed from the firing of the cylinder is not lost . -LRB- 2 -RRB- They provide vital lubrication to the cylinder walls . When the rings wear out , the pressure from combustion reverses down into the oil pan , pressurizing it , and forcing oil into the valve covers . From there it goes through the breather system , back into the fuel delivery system , and into the engine to be burned . I have to put a quart of oil a week in the engine . Is this a big problem ? It 's hard to say without performing some diagnostics on the engine . A quart of oil a week is excessive . It could be due to a plugged PCV or excessive internal engine wear . Take the car into the shop for engine diagnostics . My guess is that the tech will perform a compression test along with a cylinder leak down test after he/she determines if the PCV system is open . During these tests the tech tries to determine if there is loss of engine compression , blow-by , or excessive oil consumption due to ring wear . If excessive ring wear is discovered then further engine teardown will be necessary to determine if the engine needs to be rebuilt or replaced . AOL Autos : How often should you change your oil What is the difference between blue and white smoke ? The engine can emit different colors of smoke : Blue smoke : Blue typically means that engine oil is being burned in the combustion chamber . In rare cases , when a vehicle is equipped with a transmission that uses a device called a vacuum modulator valve -LRB- to soften shifts between gears according to engine vacuum -RRB- the diaphragm can break inside the valve and cause transmission fluid to be sucked into the engine via the vacuum line feeding the valve and burn . AOL Autos : Fluid leaks : unsafe and expensive White smoke : White can mean one of two things . -LRB- 1 -RRB- Water condensation from a blown and leaking head gasket : This gasket is the seal between the cylinder head and engine block . Water runs through channels called water jackets that line the cylinder walls and thus carry away heat . When the head gasket blows , the seal between the cylinder head and engine block breaks and water is allowed to enter the combustion chamber . This water is emitted from the engine in the form of water vapor or steam and it is white in color . -LRB- 2 -RRB- Excessive gas : Fuel delivery systems sometimes falter and dump excessive amounts of raw fuel into the intake plenum . When this happens , the amount of fuel is too much for the engine to process . Hence , it exits the engine and tailpipe in the form of pure white fuel vapor . It stinks like raw gas and can be dangerous if it ignites in the hot muffler and catalytic converter . I have witnessed exhaust systems literally blown off the vehicle from the explosion that ensued from ignition of a gas-filled catalytic converter . This condition must be fixed immediately to prevent internal engine damage or worse yet , a serious fire . Can I add oil or coolant and keep driving the vehicle until I can afford to fix it ? Yes . However , be advised that such maladies never get better by themselves ; and they always get worse with time . There is a real possibility that you will get caught on the road driving at highway speeds -LRB- thinking you added enough oil , transmission fluid or engine coolant -RRB- and the oil runs out , causing a catastrophic failure . In general , when it comes to a need for auto repair , conditions never improve on their own . You must maintain your vehicle if you want to get the maximum life out of it and , in the long run , spend the least amount of money . AOL Autos : How to avoid common car problems", "question": "What is blue smoke caused by ?", "answer": "engine oil is being burned in the combustion chamber"}, {"story_text": "New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A New York judge Friday postponed a decision on a proposed $ 657 million settlement for people who became ill after working on the World Trade Center site after the 9/11 terrorist attacks . The settlement , announced Thursday , would cover about 10,000 plaintiffs , said Marc Bern , one of the lawyers representing the workers . The postponement appeared to take attorneys -- and Mayor Michael Bloomberg -- by surprise . Attorneys for both sides and the mayor earlier made statements assuming the proposal would be approved by U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein . The judge is particularly interested in making sure the attorneys ' cut of the settlement is equitable for all parties . `` This will not be a giveaway , '' Hellerstein said Friday . `` This will be a fair and just settlement . '' Christine LaSala , president of WTC Captive Insurance Co. , which announced the settlement , repeated after the judge 's announcement a statement issued Thursday night . `` This agreement enables workers and volunteers claiming injury from the WTC site operations to obtain compensation commensurate with the nature of their injuries and the strength of their claims , while offering added protection against possible future illness , '' she said . The agreement comes after six years of legal wrangling -- a sometimes excruciating wait for his clients , Bern said . Many of his clients worked rescuing victims from the terrorist attacks or removing debris after the World Trade Center toppled . After the work , some found their health deteriorated , with many suffering from asthma , other respiratory issues and blood cancer , Bern told CNN Radio . `` I am quite gratified that we been able to reach a settlement for the heroes of 9/11 , '' said Bern . `` The men and women who were exposed at the site have waited a long time for some type of resolution . '' The WTC Captive Insurance Co. announced the settlement on Thursday . `` This agreement enables workers and volunteers claiming injury from the WTC site operations to obtain compensation commensurate with the nature of their injuries and the strength of their claims , while offering added protection against possible future illness , '' the organization said in a statement . WTC Captive was created with a $ 1 billion FEMA grant and provides insurance coverage to the City of New York and its debris-removal contractors . In the aftermath of 9/11 , New York was unable to get adequate amounts of liability insurance for the rescue , recovery and debris-removal work done at the World Trade Center site . The settlement would provide a system to pay for the compensation of the injury claims made by workers . This would include construction workers , firefighters , police officers and other workers and volunteers . The settlement would also fund a special insurance policy , which provides additional compensation to any plaintiff contracting certain types of cancer in the future . The settlement agreement will be presented to a judge Friday morning who then could give preliminary approval of it by afternoon , Bern said . If the judge gives his OK , Bern 's law firm will send letters to the plaintiffs to tell them what money they are eligible for . `` The payments could range from thousands of dollars to nearly $ 2 million for clients , '' Bern said . In order to make a claim , plaintiffs will have to submit proof they were present and participated in the post-9 / 11 efforts . They will also have to present specific medical documentation , including a diagnosis confirming their illness or injury . New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said of the resolution , `` This settlement is a fair and reasonable resolution to a complex set of circumstances . Since September 11th , the city has moved aggressively to provide medical treatment to those who were present at Ground Zero , and we will continue our commitment to treatment and monitoring . '' A spokesman for the mayor declined further comment . After the 9/11 attacks , individuals who worked or volunteered in the rescue , recovery and debris-removal project were entitled to and have received free medical care , which has been funded by the City of New York and the federal government . Participating in the settlement would not deter access to that care . Former New York firefighter Kenny Specht told CNN 's Campbell Brown , `` You really ca n't put a price on your health , so I hope that this settlement was done the right way and I hope that it was done with people 's health and safety and future in mind . '' Specht , 37 , was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2008 . CNN 's Jamie Guzzardo and Patty Lane contributed to this report .", "question": "what does the WTC captive provides ?", "answer": "insurance coverage to the City of New York and its debris-removal contractors"}, {"story_text": "Kabul , Afghanistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Zablon Simintov is always guaranteed the best seat in his local synagogue here , but the privilege comes with a downside : he 's the last Jew in Afghanistan . The country 's 800-year-old Jewish community -- an estimated 40,000 strong at its peak -- is now a party of one . But Simintov , for his part , is n't going anywhere soon . For more than a decade , he has refused to join his wife and two teenage daughters in Israel . `` My family call me all the time and say , ` Come here , you 're the last Jew in Afghanistan , what are you doing there ? ' '' he says . Simintov , a former carpet dealer , refuses to answer that question . `` I do n't know why I 'm still living here , '' he says . `` It 's God 's will . '' He has n't seen his daughters -- now ages 14 and 16 -- since his one trip to Israel 12 years ago . But the bald and bespectacled Simintov says he is content guarding a cupboard full of dusty prayer books -- one is 400 years old , he says -- spending holidays with visitors from Europe and the U.S. and surviving off donations from Jews around the world . Historical evidence suggests a sizable Jewish community in Afghanistan since the Middle Ages , according to the American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise , a nonprofit group . Afghanistan 's Jewish population reached 40,000 in the mid-19th century , the group says , and began declining around 1870 with the passage of anti-Jewish measures . Israel 's creation in 1948 drew most of Afghanistan 's remaining Jews . Simintov 's synagogue -- the last in Afghanistan 's capital -- sits inconspicuously in a courtyard behind busy city streets , though a close inspection reveals Stars of David in second-story metal railings . The interior is adorned only by broken light fixtures and ceiling fans . But Simintov says he is hardly in hiding . `` They 're all like my brothers here , '' he said of his fellow Afghans . `` It does n't make a difference whether I 'm here or in Israel . '' That was n't the case under Taliban rule , which ended with the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 , though Taliban forces have been resurgent in parts of the country . Simintov says he was arrested four times under Taliban rule and that he was beaten while in custody . `` The Taliban was a problem , '' he says . `` They interfered in everyone 's business , but now they 're gone , they 're finished . '' Which means that Simintov is more inclined than ever to stay put .", "question": "what are afghan jews", "answer": "a sizable Jewish community in Afghanistan"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- More than 3,000 U.S. troops scheduled to deploy to Iraq wo n't go after all , as the military tries to draw down troop levels in the war-torn country , a Pentagon spokesman said Saturday . U.S. troops speak to an Iraqi child in Baghdad on Monday . The 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team , 10th Mountain Division will not replace a North Carolina National Guard unit already in Iraq , Lt. Col. Eric Butterbaugh told CNN . The 3,500-troop combat team , based in Fort Drum , New York , was to leave in January , he said . '' -LSB- The cancellation -RSB- reflects a thorough assessment of the security environment in Iraq and continued improvement in the ability of the Iraqi security forces to safeguard Iraqi citizens and institutions , '' Butterbaugh said . The National Guard unit is still on schedule to return home , which will speed up the drawdown of forces , he said . The troop withdrawal in Iraq coincides with a debate in the Obama administration on whether to send as many as 40,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan . As of Friday , 250 U.S. soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since the start of the year , according to a CNN tally based on Pentagon numbers . The United States plans to withdraw all its combat troops from Iraq by August , leaving 50,000 in advisory roles . Those advisers are to leave by the end of 2011 . Concerns that a delay in the upcoming Iraqi elections could put a dent in scheduled withdrawals was rejected Friday by U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Chris Hill . `` As for our schedule of troop withdrawal , we 've been pretty clear about when the troops would be withdrawn , '' he told CNN . `` So our plan is to draw down the troops as we 've said we 're going -LSB- to -RSB- do . '' The polls are scheduled to open January 16 , but both the United States and the United Nations are worried because Iraq still has no election law . If a new law is n't adopted , the government may have to change the election date or rely on the law used in the 2005 elections , some officials say . A vote on the new law is expected Monday . Pentagon officials also must weigh the impact of continuing violence in the country . Hill said the violence is a concern , as are insurgent efforts to undermine attempts at reconciliation in the divided country . `` Reconciliation is a tough business . I mean I 've been in some of these meetings with people , you know , they do n't like each other , you have to get them to work together , get them to understand their futures are together , and then you get a bombing , which makes it even tougher , '' Hill said . `` Again , I think the Iraqi people have really signaled that they are really sick and tired of this stuff . '' Meanwhile , violence continued in Iraq on Saturday . Four soldiers were killed and 10 people , including civilians and security forces , were wounded when a bomb targeting an Iraqi army checkpoint exploded in Falluja , an Anbar province town , an Iraqi Interior Ministry official said . Elsewhere in Anbar , a suicide truck bomb hit a police checkpoint on a bridge west of Ramadi , wounding a police officer . The blast badly damaged the bridge , which carries a highway linking Iraq with Jordan and Syria , the official said . Traffic had to be rerouted to an another road . Anbar province , a massive region populated mostly by Sunni Arabs , had been a major front in the Iraqi war . The al Qaeda in Iraq militant group once held great sway in Anbar , but its influence lessened with the advent of U.S.-backed groups called Awakening Councils . CNN 's Scott Spoerry and Mohammed Jamjoom contributed to this report .", "question": "What wo n't Iraqi elections delay ?", "answer": "schedule of troop withdrawal"}, {"story_text": "CLARENCE CENTER , New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Recovering all the bodies from Thursday 's deadly passenger plane crash may take four days as investigators work through freezing temperatures and piles of wreckage , a federal transportation official said Saturday . Only a few pieces of the Continental Connection Dash 8 turboprop were recognizable after the crash . `` The medical examiner believes that three to four days are going to be required to recover the victims of this crash , and they 're in the process of doing that , '' Steve Chealander of the National Transportation Safety Board said . `` They 've already pulled some of the folks out of there , but they 've got a long way to go . '' All 49 passengers aboard Continental Connection Flight 3407 died when the 74-seat Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 turboprop crashed into a home in Clarence Center , New York , on Thursday night . A 61-year-old man in the house died also , but his wife and daughter survived . Fifteen bodies have been recovered , and efforts to identify the victims and conduct autopsies are under way , Erie County Health Commission Anthony Billittier said Saturday evening . A federal disaster mortuary team was called to assist local forensic officials . Despite reports from local authorities who said the plane hurtled toward the house from a sharp nosedive , Chealander said the current orientation of the plane indicates that it fell flat on its belly . The Continental flight from Newark , New Jersey , operated by Colgan Air , crashed about 10:17 p.m. Thursday northeast of Buffalo Niagara International Airport . Follow the plane 's path '' Chealander said the recovery effort and the investigation have been hampered by freezing temperatures as authorities try to sift through the wreckage of the flight and the home it struck . Some parts of the plane have fallen as deep as the basement , he said . `` Keep in mind , there 's an airplane that fell on top of a house , '' he told reporters . `` The house and the airplane are together . '' Authorities said it would probably take weeks to identify remains of the victims , with DNA testing required in many cases because of the intensity of the crash and subsequent fire . A 2-square-mile area around the crash site , about 6 miles from the Buffalo airport where the plane was headed , remained sealed off Saturday as investigators sought to determine the cause of the crash . But the extent of the restricted area belied the concentrated force of the impact into the one house . Watch what investigators are saying '' Karen Wielinski was watching television inside the house when she heard a plane making an unusually loud noise . `` I thought to myself , ` If that 's a plane , it 's going to hit something , ' '' she told Buffalo radio station WBEN . `` And next thing I knew , the ceiling was on me , '' she said . Wielinski and her daughter Jill , 22 , were in the front of the home , and they escaped the house with minor injuries . Wielinski 's husband , Doug , who was in the dining room , was killed . On Friday , federal investigators released information from the plane 's cockpit voice and flight data recorders , indicating that icing may have been a major factor in the crash . The plane 's pilot and co-pilot discussed `` significant ice buildup '' on the plane 's windshield and wings as it descended toward the Buffalo airport . The plane underwent `` severe '' pitching and rolling motions after the landing gear was lowered and wing flaps were set for the approach , Chealander said . There was a mix of sleet and snow in the area , but other planes landed safely at the airport about the time the flight went down . Chealander said the flight crew reported that visibility was about 3 miles and there was snow and mist as they descended . The voice and data recorders indicated that the plane 's internal de-icing was on during the landing approach , he said . `` A significant ice buildup is an aerodynamic impediment , '' he added . Find out why '' Keith Burtis was driving about a mile from the crash site when he heard the impact . `` It was a high-pitched sound , '' Burtis said . `` It felt like a mini-earthquake . '' A ball of fire filled the night sky as the jet fuel erupted , Burtis said , and he saw a steady stream of fire trucks rush past as smoke billowed . At least nine volunteer fire departments responded . Watch iReporters ' close-up accounts '' Among the passengers killed was Beverly Eckert , widow of a September 11 attack victim . Also aboard was Alison Des Forges , senior Africa adviser for Human Rights Watch , one of her colleagues said . Des Forges spent four years in Rwanda documenting the 1994 genocide and had testified about the atrocity and the situation in central Africa to Congress and the United Nations , according to the organization . Read more about the victims Also on the flight was Susan Wehle , a cantor at Temple Beth Am in Williamsville , outside Buffalo , a synagogue official said . Colgan Air identified the crew as Capt. Marvin Renslow , the pilot ; First Officer Rebecca Shaw , who was co-pilot ; and flight attendants Matilda Quintero and Donna Prisco . In addition , an off-duty crew member , Capt. Joseph Zuffoletto , was onboard . `` This is easily the saddest day in the history of our airline , '' said Philip Trenary , the company 's CEO .", "question": "which affects the recovery of the bodies ?", "answer": "freezing temperatures and piles of wreckage"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Tens of thousands of people packed a soccer stadium in Cameroon Thursday , including President Paul Biya and his wife , for the first large-scale mass of Pope Benedict XVI 's first visit to Africa . Tens of thousands of people gathered at a football stadium in Cameroon to see the pope . Africa is the last continent that Benedict had left to visit , and one he could not avoid , said David Gibson , a biographer of the pope . `` He knows he has to do this . He knows Africa is the future of the -LRB- Roman Catholic -RRB- Church , as it is for all of Christianity , '' said Gibson . Christianity , like Islam , is on the rise in Africa and Latin America , even as the northern hemisphere tends to become more secular . '' One in five of the world 's Christians lives in Africa -- up from less than one in fifty in 1900 , said Brian Grim , an editor of the World Religion Database . So Benedict is making the visit although travel `` is not his cup of tea , '' Gibson said . `` John Paul II loved the travel and loved the different cultures . Benedict is a European through and through . '' Watch the pope at the soccer stadium '' But Benedict understands that travel has become an essential part of a pope 's duties , said Gibson , the author of `` The Rule of Benedict : Pope Benedict XVI and His Battle with the Modern World . '' Benedict drew cheers at the mass at the 40,000-seat Amadou Ahidjo Stadium when he told worshippers that God had not forgotten orphans , poor and abused children , and those `` forced to join paramilitary forces , '' Cameroon TV reported . He did not mention condoms , a subject which sparked controversy when he reiterated the Vatican 's opposition to artificial birth control Monday while flying to Cameroon . Sub-Saharan Africa has been hit harder by AIDS and HIV than any other region of the world , according to the United Nations and World Health Organization . There has been fierce debate between those who advocate the use of condoms to help stop the spread of the epidemic and those who oppose it . The pope 's mention of birth control may have been an effort to draw attention to the trip , which `` is not getting much of a bounce in the Western media , '' Gibson speculated . `` They are savvy enough to know that if the pope mentions condoms , it is going to be a headline , '' he said of the pontiff 's advisers . The issue did not come up by chance , he pointed out . `` These were pre-selected questions for which they had prepared answers , '' he said . The pope also Thursday met local Muslim leaders in Cameroon , a west African country which is just over one-quarter Roman Catholic and just under one-quarter Muslim . Both religions are expanding rapidly in Africa , said Grim , a senior research fellow in religion and world affairs at the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life . Less than one in ten people in sub-Saharan Africa was Christian in 1900 . Today nearly six in ten are , he said . The region was about 14 percent Muslim at the beginning of the 20th century , he said , and about 30 percent Muslim now . Benedict outraged Muslim leaders around the world in 2006 by quoting the 15th-century Byzantine emperor Manuel II Paleologus when he said , `` Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new , and there you will find things only evil and inhuman , such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached . '' He repeatedly apologized for the citation , which he said did not reflect his own views . `` It was a painful lesson but clearly the pope learned something from that , '' Gibson said . The pope 's meeting Muslim leaders in person can help relations between the Church and Islam , the analyst added . Face-to-face encounters make `` the pope a human figure . That 's what these trips are really about -- to see that the pope is not the boogeyman , he is someone who is kind and wise and wants to discuss issues . `` It 's so easy to see caricatures , so for the pope simply to show up can be an enormously positive development , '' Gibson said . Gibson said this week 's visit may be Benedict 's only trip to Africa . `` Knowing that the pope is older , he can not travel as much -- he does not like to travel -- makes these trips more poignant . He may never come back to Africa again . ''", "question": "Where was the pope 's mass ?", "answer": "at a football stadium in Cameroon"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has apparently released a new audio message calling for a jihad , or holy war , against Israel for its Gaza campaign . Osama bin Laden , in an undated photo , apparently taped a message calling for jihad against Israel . The 22-minute message contains `` an invitation '' from bin Laden to take part in `` jihad to stop the aggression against Gaza . '' The audio message was posted on a radical Islamist Web site that has posted other statements from bin Laden in the past . CNN could not independently confirm the authenticity of the message , but the speaker 's voice was similar to other recordings that bin Laden has made . While not naming President-elect Barack Obama , bin Laden refers to the future of the United States in the face of the current global economic crisis . Watch as experts discuss Osama message '' '' -LSB- America is -RSB- now drowning in a global financial crisis , '' he said . `` They 're even begging all nations , small and large , for help . America is no longer feared by its enemies nor respected by its allies . `` The decline of the American power is one of the main reasons for Israel 's rushed and barbaric aggression on Gaza in a desperate attempt to take advantage of the last days of -LSB- President -RSB- Bush 's term in office . '' He appears , however , to refer to Obama , saying `` Bush leaves his successor with the worst inheritance ... two long guerrilla wars and no options . He either withdraws and faces military defeat , or carries on and drowns his nation in financial trouble . '' Watch Obama comment on bin Laden 's message '' The message also names Vice President-elect Joe Biden . `` Here is Biden , the vice president of the president-elect ... -LSB- he -RSB- says that the crisis is bigger than they expected and that the American economy , all of it , is open to collapse , '' bin Laden said . On December 20 , Biden said in an interview that the economy `` is in much worse shape than we thought it was in . '' White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said the message `` demonstrates -LSB- bin Laden 's -RSB- isolation and continued attempts to remain relevant at a time when al Qaeda 's ideology , mission and agenda are being questioned and challenged throughout the world . '' He noted that the message also appears to be `` an effort to raise money as part of -LSB- al Qaeda 's -RSB- ongoing propaganda campaign . '' `` The United States promotes an alternative , hopeful ideology while continuing to partner with over 90 countries to pursue terrorists wherever they are , '' Johndroe said . The last time bin Laden released an audio message was in mid-May , timed to coincide with Israel 's 60th anniversary . That message urged his followers to liberate Palestine . Israel launched a military offensive in Gaza on December 27 to stop Hamas rocket strikes on southern Israel . The death toll in Gaza was nearing 1,000 on Wednesday , including more than 300 children , according to Palestinian medical sources . The Israeli toll stood at 13 , including three civilians , according to Israeli police and military officials . Bin Laden , who is about 51 , is the head of the al Qaeda terrorist network , which was responsible for the September 11 , 2001 , attack on the United States that killed 2,751 people . He 's been in hiding since the U.S. assault on Afghanistan that followed the 9/11 attacks . The U.S. government is offering a $ 25 million reward for information leading to his capture . President Bush , whose term ends next week , told CNN 's Larry King on Tuesday that he remains optimistic that bin Laden would be found . Asked by King , `` Are we ever going to find bin Laden ? '' Bush replied : `` Yes , of course , absolutely . We 've got a lot of people out there looking for him , a lot of assets . You ca n't run forever . '' The message is important to the incoming U.S. president because it signifies that bin Laden is still `` out there , '' said Tim Roemer , a former Democratic congressman from Indiana who served on both the congressional and the presidential September 11 commissions . `` It 's a reminder of President-elect Obama 's inheritance of some of the difficult problems out there that he has to confront , '' said Roemer , who is president of the Center for National Policy . `` Al Qaeda is trying to be relevant with this tape , '' Roemer said . `` They seek competition with Hamas , Hezbollah , the ongoing battle between Israel and the Palestinians . ... `` This reminds us of what bin Laden said right after 9/11 . He said it was n't 19 Arab armies or 19 Arab states that attacked the United States . It was 19 post-graduate students . It reminds us how much the world has changed , and how many different threats are out there today . '' CNN 's Octavia Nasr and Suzanne Malveaux contributed to this report .", "question": "Where was the message posted ?", "answer": "on a radical Islamist Web site"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- After months of stalemate , the Senate late Tuesday passed a huge government spending bill that includes billions of dollars requested by President Bush to continue the war in Iraq . White House officials have said President Bush would sign off on the spending plan if the Iraq money was added . The roughly $ 555 billion bill -- which passed 76-17 -- also preserves thousands of earmarks for lawmakers who will deliver them to constituents just in time for the holidays . The final vote came at about 11 p.m. ET Tuesday -- after hours of debate that included two more attempts by Senate Democrats to tie war funding to a plan to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq . Those efforts failed , as have dozens of others in the House and Senate since Democrats took control of Congress last year . Earlier , members voted to add $ 40 billion for the war in Iraq that had been removed by the House -- which passed the spending bill on Monday . The plan also includes $ 30 billion for troops in Afghanistan . Sen. Joe Lieberman , an independent from Connecticut who co-sponsored the push to reinstate the Iraq money , called its approval `` a very powerful bipartisan message of support for our men and women serving in Iraq . '' White House officials have said Bush would sign the spending plan if the Iraq money was added . In the weeks leading up to the vote , Bush had repeatedly pushed members of Congress to approve a military spending bill that did not place troop-withdrawal requirements on the military in Iraq . The bill wraps together 11 of the 12 government spending bills for 2008 -- except for that of the Department of Defense , which was already funded . Facing a president determined to keep spending in check and a unified Republican minority in the House and Senate , Democrats have been stymied at nearly every turn in their attempts to increase spending on their domestic priorities . Fearing a politically dangerous government shutdown , Democratic leaders ultimately gave in to Bush 's top line number and trimmed $ 22 billion from the measure . But Democrats stemmed their losses somewhat by shifting some funding from the president 's priorities to their own . And they added billions more above Bush 's top line in `` emergency '' funding for veterans health care , California fires , border security and more . The government spending watchdog group Taxpayers for Common Sense , which scrambled Monday to pore over the nearly 1,500-page bill that was made public late Sunday night , said it has identified almost 9,000 earmarks worth $ 7.4 billion . Many of the earmarks avoided normal congressional scrutiny and were `` airdropped '' -- or slipped in without going through normal committee consideration -- into the final bill , the group said . But Sen. Robert Byrd , D-West Virginia , chairman of the budget-writing appropriations committee , said the spending plan represents a dramatic decrease in pork-barrel projects from the one approved by Bush two years ago -- when Republicans controlled Congress . `` The total dollars that are earmarked is reduced -- hear me now -- by 43 percent , '' Byrd said Tuesday from the Senate floor . `` That ai n't chicken feed . '' Arguing for a plan that would have begun pulling troops from Iraq within 90 days , Sen. Edward Kennedy , D-Massachusetts , became emotional as he called the Bush administration 's efforts in Iraq `` a continuing quagmire . '' `` The best way to end this charade and protect our troops and our national security is to put the Iraqis on notice that they need to take responsibility for their future , '' Kennedy said . `` Unless there 's a binding timeline for the redeployment of our troops , the Iraqis will not feel the need to make the compromises essential for a political solution . '' The measure now goes back to the House for approval in its revised form . House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she expects the bill to pass the House , although she will vote against it because of the war funds added in the Senate version . E-mail to a friend CNN 's Ted Barrett contributed to this report .", "question": "What did Democrats fail to tie ?", "answer": "war funding to a plan to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A judge ordered Tuesday that the man accused of killing singer and actress Jennifer Hudson 's mother , brother and nephew be moved from a state prison to the Cook County jail to make it easier for his lawyer to meet with him . Jennifer Hudson , at the October premiere of `` The Secret Life of Bees , '' has n't performed in public since the killings . William Balfour , 27 , has been held at Stateville Correctional Center near Joliet , Illinois , since he was arrested in early December in what defense lawyer Joshua Kutnick called `` a difficult position . '' '' -LSB- Balfour -RSB- has exhibited , to me , patience , '' Kutnick told CNN after Tuesday 's hearing . `` He understands that this case is not going to be over this week or next week or next month , '' Kutnick said . `` He realizes in order for us to establish that he 's not guilty , that we 're going to have to go through all the steps of fighting the case . '' Kutnick said the defense is conducting its own investigation of the killings and has subpoenaed the prosecution 's evidence . Nothing has been handed over yet , he said . He would not speculate on when the case might go to trial . `` You 're talking about some time down the road , '' Kutnick said . Balfour , indicted a month ago , entered a not guilty plea last week . Tuesday was the first time Balfour has been before Judge Marjorie Laws , who was appointed last week after prosecutors asked that Judge Evelyn Clay be removed from the case . Prosecutors did not make public their reasons for wanting a new judge . While Judge Laws ordered Balfour to be moved to Chicago , Kutnick said he expects it might just be for 10 days . `` The sheriff of Cook County does not always obey those orders because he is dealing with his own problems such as jail overcrowding , '' Kutnick said . `` He 's doing OK '' despite `` being incarcerated under a difficult position , '' Kutnick said of Balfour . `` When any inmate is serving a sentence on a parole violation , they 're kept in what 's called the receiving unit , '' Kutnick said . `` It 's very restrictive . They do n't get the kind of free time and privileges that general population gets , so that is very difficult for him . '' Hudson has not performed in public since the deaths , but she is scheduled to sing the national anthem Sunday at the Super Bowl . Balfour first was detained for questioning October 24 , the day that Hudson 's mother and brother were found shot to death . At the time , authorities said they were holding Balfour for an unspecified parole violation . Prosecutors have portrayed Balfour as a jealous man who killed three people in a rage at the thought that his estranged wife had a boyfriend . Balfour is the estranged husband of Hudson 's sister , Julia Hudson , and stepfather of one of the victims , 7-year-old Julian King . He also has been charged with one count of home invasion . Balfour denies the charges , and his attorney told the court in December there was no forensic evidence linking him to the killings Hudson won a best supporting actress Oscar for her portrayal of Effie in the 2006 film version of the Broadway musical `` Dreamgirls . '' She competed on the third season of the TV singing competition `` American Idol '' and was among the top seven contestants before her elimination .", "question": "what is Hudson set to do", "answer": "sing the national anthem Sunday at the Super Bowl"}, {"story_text": "BEIJING , China -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An executive of the Chinese dairy company Sanlu Group pleaded guilty Wednesday over her role in the contaminated milk scandal that sickened nearly 300,000 infants , state-run media reported . A salesgirl arranges powdered milk in China 's Sichuan province in September . Tian Wenhua , Sanlu 's former board chairwoman and general manager , and three other executives are on trial for producing and selling fake or substandard products , according to Xinhua news agency . Wenhua , 66 , pleaded guilty on the first day of the trial at a court in Shijiazhuang , the capital of northern Hebei Province , Xinhua reported . She told the court that she first received tainted milk complaints from consumers in mid-May -- four months before the issue became widely known -- according to the report . Wenhua led a working team to investigate the claims , Xinhua reported . The three other executives are former deputy general managers Wang Yuliang and Hang Zhiqi , and Wu Jusheng , a former executive heading Sanlu 's milk division . Chinese investigators found melamine in nearly 70 milk products from more than 20 companies , according to quality control official Li Changjiang , who was eventually forced to resign . The Ministry of Health has said the contamination likely caused the deaths of at least six babies . Another 294,000 infants suffered from urinary problems , such as kidney stones . The tainted formula came to light in September after babies who were fed milk powder produced by the Sanlu Group , which recently filed for bankruptcy , had developed kidney stones . Melamine is commonly used in coatings and laminates , wood adhesives , fabric coatings , ceiling tiles and flame retardants . Some Chinese dairy plants added the chemical to milk products so they would appear to have a higher protein level . Prior to the four Sanlu executives , at least eight people stood trial over charges of producing , adding melamine-laced `` protein powder '' to milk or selling the tainted milk to Sanlu or other dairies . Victims of tainted baby formula are expected to be compensated by the 22 Chinese dairy producers that made the milk . `` The enterprises offered to shoulder the compensation liability , '' the country 's Dairy Industry Association said Saturday , according to Xinhua . `` By doing so , they hope to earn understanding and forgiveness of the families of the sickened children . '' The group said victims will receive a one-off cash payment , but did not provide the amounts , according to Xinhua . `` The money for compensation is in place now and will soon be handed to the people who have custody of the sickened children through various channels , '' the association said . No date for the payments was given . The dairies also raised money to cover medical bills for any after-effects suffered as a result of the poisoning , the association said .", "question": "What were four sanlu executives accused of ?", "answer": "for producing and selling fake or substandard products"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A coalition of top musicians , including R.E.M. and Pearl Jam , want to know if their music was used by the U.S. military as part of controversial interrogation methods at the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay , Cuba . Ruhal Ahmed , left , shown at a 2007 news conference , says he had to listen to hours of music at Guantanamo . The artists have endorsed a series of Freedom of Information Act requests , which were filed Thursday morning , asking the U.S. government to declassify documents that would reveal which artists ' work was used on detainees at U.S. prison facilities and military detention centers , including the one at Guantanamo Bay . The National Security Archive , a Washington-based independent research institute that advocates '' for the right to know , '' filed the requests on behalf of the Close Gitmo Now campaign , which launched this week , the archive 's senior analyst Kate Doyle said . The multimillion-dollar national grassroots Close Gitmo Now campaign is aimed at pressuring members of Congress to support President Obama 's endeavor to close the Guantanamo Bay prison . It is supported by a coalition of retired generals and liberal activists . The requests are based on the testimony of former Guantanamo prisoners and guards , as well as declassified documents , that identified music from 35 artists -- ranging from AC/DC tunes to the theme from Sesame Street -- used in the interrogations of detainees , Doyle said . See a list of bands and songs involved -LRB- PDF -RRB- `` We do know that songs and bands ' work has been used to abuse detainees , we know that , '' she said . She added that any information that the National Security Archive obtains `` will add to the profile of this case . '' The requests are being filed with `` a dozen different agencies and components of the Department of Defense , '' Doyle said . They ask for any documents `` concerning the use of loud music during detention and/or as a technique to interrogate detainees at U.S.-operated prison facilities used in its War on Terror at Guantanamo , Iraq and Afghanistan during 2002-the present , '' according to a copy of the FOIA request obtained by CNN . It is unclear if any of the artists plan to pursue legal action , but Doyle said she 'd be `` surprised if some of them were n't thinking about it . '' Many of the artists supporting the campaign are no strangers to political activism , but this cause has hit close to home for some of them . `` We have spent the past 30 years supporting causes related to peace and justice . To now learn that some of our friends ' music may have been used as part of the torture tactics without their consent or knowledge is horrific , '' the American rock band R.E.M. said in a statement posted on CloseGitmoNow.org . `` It 's anti-American , period . '' Several former Guantanamo detainees have filed lawsuits against the U.S. government , saying they were tortured with numerous techniques , including loud music . `` It 's very scary to think that you might go crazy because of the music , because of the loud noise , '' said Ruhal Ahmed , one of the former detainees who has filed a lawsuit . He said he had to listen to hours of headbanging music while held prisoner at Guantanamo in 2003 . The Pentagon has not responded directly to the allegations of torture involving music , but it has said that its policy has always been to treat detainees humanely . Loud music has not been used at Guantanamo since the fall of 2003 , following a Department of Defense review of detention operations and interrogation techniques , according to Maj. Diana Haynie , a Joint Task Force Guantanamo spokeswoman . U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has asked a federal prosecutor to examine whether the interrogations violated the law , and the White House said Obama will leave any decision on charges to the Justice Department . And the Obama administration announced it would put the FBI in charge of a special unit set up to question suspected terrorists under White House oversight . CNN 's Tricia Escobedo contributed to this report", "question": "What is the campaign for ?", "answer": "for the right to know"}, {"story_text": "BOSTON , Massachusetts -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Hurricane Bill spun northward toward the New England coast Saturday with wind and rain as officials warned beach lovers to head indoors for the night . Signs at Lighthouse Beach at Chatham , Massachusetts , warn beach-goers Saturday of rough waters . At 11 p.m. , the center of the Category 1 storm was about 195 miles southeast of Nantucket , Massachusetts , the National Hurricane Center said . Forecasters said the island can expect 1 to 2 inches of rain , and Outer Cape Cod and Martha 's Vineyard may receive only an inch . Swells as high as 19 feet are expected Monday night , Coast Guard Petty Officer Jordan Berryman told CNN in Chatham , Massachusetts . `` It 's been generally calm but tonight we recommend that everybody stay off the beach , '' he said . The storm continued its northerly pace of nearly 25 mph . A gradual change to the north-northeast is predicted for Sunday . Bill 's sustained winds remained at 100 mph , with higher gusts . `` The surf is definitely big , '' Emily Chibaro of Nantucket told CNN Radio Saturday . `` The south shore part of the island is closed off to all people on the island . '' iReport.com : Are you bracing for Hurricane Bill ? A gradual weakening is expected Saturday night and Sunday as the hurricane moves north of the Gulf Stream , a swift , warm Atlantic Ocean current . The core of the storm should pass New England offshore Saturday night , and approach Nova Scotia on Sunday . Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick said tropical-force winds from the outer bands of the storm were forecast to hit his state at 9 p.m. ET , earlier than expected . The speed of tropical-force winds range from 39 mph to 73 mph . Watch the waves crash on Massachusetts beach '' A tropical storm warning was issued for the coast of Massachusetts from Woods Hole to Sagamore Beach , including the islands of Martha 's Vineyard and Nantucket . The hurricane itself is predicted to stay offshore , the hurricane center said . The most intense period of the storm should be between midnight and the predawn hours of Sunday , the governor told reporters in a conference call . Patrick cautioned boaters to expect high seas and to avoid the area around Cape Cod . Forecasters have warned of dangerous riptides , or undertows , along the New England coast and points north . `` Waters will be unsafe even for strong swimmers , '' the governor warned . Rip currents , or riptides , are strong seaward flows of water that occur where there 's a break in the shoreline . They are difficult to detect . Watch CNN 's Bonnie Schneider talk about rip currents '' Patrick said advisories will be posted , and beaches on the cape were closed . He urged residents to stay home . President Obama and his family are scheduled to arrive Sunday for a vacation at Martha 's Vineyard . `` We look forward to welcoming him to Massachusetts as soon as he can safely get here , '' Patrick said . Hurricane Bill skirted Bermuda , leaving rain in its wake . The tropical storm warning for Bermuda was discontinued . Canada 's weather service , Environment Canada , issued a tropical storm warnings and hurricane watches for parts of Nova Scotia . Watch how Nova Scotians are preparing for Bill '' A tropical storm warning means tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area within 24 hours . A watch means conditions are expected to change within 36 hours . Total rain accumulations of 3 to 5 inches with isolated amounts of 7 inches are expected near the track of Bill across Nova Scotia , Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland . CNN 's Susan Candiotti and CNN Radio 's Brendan Gage contributed to this report .", "question": "What kind of weather is expected until Sunday morning ?", "answer": "wind and rain"}, {"story_text": "DUBAI , United Arab Emirates -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The United Arab Emirates has refused to grant a visa to a female Israeli tennis player , preventing her from competing in the Sony Ericsson World Tennis Association Tour in Dubai , the WTA said in a statement Sunday . The UAE has refused to grant a visa allowing Shahar Peer to compete in Dubai . Shahar Peer would have been the first Israeli athlete to participate in a professional sporting event in the UAE , CNN Sports correspondent Pedro Pinto said . The UAE has no diplomatic ties with Israel . Peer told CNN on Sunday evening she was `` very , very disappointed '' to be denied access to the tournament . `` Any player that qualifies should attend , and I was prevented , '' she said from Israel . `` I 'm glad the WTA support me . A red line was crossed for every athlete in the world -- politics should be kept separate from sports . '' The governing body of women 's tennis said it was `` deeply disappointed '' that Peer was being denied entry to the country hosting the tournament , but it did not cancel the competition , which began Sunday . The move runs counter to WTA policy , which says no player should be barred from competing in a tournament for which she has qualified . Dubai could lose its membership in the WTA tour next year over the ban on Peer , according to WTA rules . That would mean professional players could compete only in exhibition matches in Dubai , the results of which would not count in pro rankings . Government officials in Dubai have not responded to CNN 's request to comment over their refusal to allow Peer to compete in the event . `` Ms. Peer has earned the right to play in the tournament , and it is regrettable that the UAE is denying her this right , '' said Larry Scott , chairman and chief executive of the tour . Watch Scott express disappointment '' `` Following various consultations , the tour has decided to allow the tournament to continue to be played this week , pending further review by the tour 's board of directors . '' The patron of the Dubai Tennis Championships is Dubai 's ruler , Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Makhtoum . Two million dollars in prize money is on the line . Al-Makhtoum told CNN in 2004 that Dubai would accept Israeli students to a school dedicated to students from the Middle East who are talented at sports . In 2003 , Dubai hosted World Bank and International Monetary Fund meetings , which Israeli government officials attended . The Israeli flag -- among other member states ' flags -- is still part of a globe monument in Dubai . Peer , 21 , is ranked 48th in the world among female tennis players . She was allowed to compete at the Doha tournament in Qatar last year , where she received a warm welcome , according to Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz . Qatar , another Gulf Arab state , froze diplomatic ties with Israel after Israel 's military offensive in Gaza last month . Peer downplayed the political undertones of her participation in last year 's Doha tournament , telling Haaretz that she did n't come to Qatar `` to help the politics of course . '' But she added that if her playing in the tournament `` can help for peace or anything , I 'd be really happy . '' Scott said the tour will `` review appropriate remedies for Ms. Peer '' as well as `` appropriate future actions with regard to the future of the Dubai tournament . '' Peer was advised Saturday by tournament and WTA officials of the denial of her visa while she was participating in a tournament in Pattaya , Thailand , according to a WTA statement . The Dubai Tennis Championships runs through February 28 .", "question": "Who is Shahar Peer ?", "answer": "a female Israeli tennis player"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A former drug dealer was executed in Texas on Wednesday night for the murders of two reputed gang members -- 15 years to the day after the crime . Texas death row inmate Frank Moore says he acted in self-defense when he shot and killed two in 1994 . Frank Moore , 49 , was pronounced dead at 7:21 p.m. ET , a spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice said . `` Self-defense is not capital murder , '' Moore said before the lethal injection began , echoing his unsuccessful claims to the courts to prevent his execution . Moore did not deny firing the fatal shots outside a San Antonio bar but insisted he acted in self-defense and did not deserve to die . Moore was the second death row inmate to be executed in 2009 . He spoke at length with CourtTVnews.com in 2007 . Samuel Boyd and Patrick Clark were shot multiple times in the head and chest early in the morning of January 21 , 1994 , outside the Wheels of Joy bar . `` They came with intentions to kill me , '' Moore said in the interview . `` It was a do-or-die situation . '' But no witnesses ever came forward at trial to corroborate Moore 's self-defense claims . Prosecutors contended that Moore , a long-time gang member with a lengthy rap sheet dating back to his teens , shot the two in cold blood to assert his authority after a shoving match broke out in the bar , according to court records . A Bexar County jury convicted Moore and sentenced him to death , but his conviction was reversed in 1998 after the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals found error in the trial court 's refusal to give the jury the option of convicting Moore of a lesser offense . Even so , Moore was convicted and sentenced to death at his second trial in 1999 . Moore insisted he acted in self-defense when he opened fire on Boyd , 23 , and Clark , 15 , at a bar near the housing projects where Moore admitted he sold crack cocaine and weapons . But it was not until 2006 that a private investigator , who once worked against Moore and his fellow gangsters , came forward with information that Moore said corroborated his self-defense claims . Warren Huel , a retired Navy Seal who was in charge of the private security firm that oversaw the projects , was the first peace officer on the scene , arriving about 45 minutes before the San Antonio Police Department , according to an affidavit . During that time , Huel said he spoke with witnesses who reported that Boyd and Clark shot at Moore first from inside the car after trying to run him over , according to the affidavit . Witnesses also told Huel that they had seen the victims ' relatives remove their weapons from the car before police arrived , Huel stated in the affidavit . When Huel attempted to share the information with San Antonio Police , he says the officers told him to forget everything he had seen and learned , he said in an affidavit . `` I was told that did not matter , as they already had Frank Moore , the murder weapon and an eyewitness , '' Huel stated in his affidavit . `` I was told Moore was a dope dealer and had to go to jail . '' Since then , three others have come forward claiming they witnessed the shootings , providing similar details , said Moore 's lawyer , David Sergi . `` Unfortunately , people from the street did n't come forward to testify at the time of the trial , '' he said . `` The problem is , the law does n't allow for a change of circumstances . '' The Texas State Attorney 's Office argued that Moore 's claims should be dismissed because the evidence had always been available , and was not the `` newly discovered '' evidence the law requires . A lower court sided with the state , prompting Moore to appeal to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals . On Monday , the court declined to hear his claims , making the U.S. Supreme Court Moore 's last chance for a reprieve . The justices remained silent on the matter .", "question": "what did the supreme court say", "answer": "The justices remained silent on the matter"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- AOL Autos -RRB- -- Automotive expert Tom Torbjornsen answers a question about how to diagnose an exhaust problem and what to do about it . Dear Tom , Smoke is coming out of the tailpipe of my 2002 Chrysler Sebring with 90,000 miles . Is this a big problem ? I have to put a quart of oil a week in the engine . What should I do ? -- Sally , New York Sally , Generally , engines burn oil due to a few reasons : bad valve seals , worn valve guides , pressurized crankcase -LRB- oil pan -RRB- due to a clogged PCV valve or breather system , and blow-by from worn piston rings . Bad valve seals : The valves are located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber . Oil is pumped at 40 to 80 PSI -LRB- pounds/square inch -RRB- of pressure into the top of the head , lubricating the valve-train . The valves have seals to stop the flow of oil down into the engine when the valve is open . If the seals fail then oil is allowed to flow down into the combustion chamber and is burned . Worn valve guides : A small cylindrical chamber called a valve guide does just what its name says ... it guides the valves . These guides wear out over time causing eccentricity -LRB- slop -RRB- . The excess gap that forms allows oil to flow down the valve stem into the combustion chamber to be burned . Normally the valve seal stops this flow . However , in this case the gap is too great for the seal to work . AOL Autos : Should you use synthetic motor oil ? Pressurized crankcase due to clogged PCV or breather system : Your car 's engine is a giant air pump , consequently it must breathe . The PCV -LRB- Positive Crankcase Ventilation -RRB- system allows the engine to exhaust the excess pressure buildup -LRB- which is a natural phenomenon of the internal combustion engine -RRB- . Carbon is a by-product of an engine and can build up in the PCV system , clogging the breathing passages . This in turn pressurizes the oil pan and pushes oil up into the fuel delivery system where it is fed into the engine and burned . AOL Autos : Do I need to replace my air filter ? Blow-by from worn piston rings : The pistons in your car 's engine have seals around them in the form of rings . These rings have two functions : -LRB- 1 -RRB- they seal the combustion chamber so that the power developed from the firing of the cylinder is not lost . -LRB- 2 -RRB- They provide vital lubrication to the cylinder walls . When the rings wear out , the pressure from combustion reverses down into the oil pan , pressurizing it , and forcing oil into the valve covers . From there it goes through the breather system , back into the fuel delivery system , and into the engine to be burned . I have to put a quart of oil a week in the engine . Is this a big problem ? It 's hard to say without performing some diagnostics on the engine . A quart of oil a week is excessive . It could be due to a plugged PCV or excessive internal engine wear . Take the car into the shop for engine diagnostics . My guess is that the tech will perform a compression test along with a cylinder leak down test after he/she determines if the PCV system is open . During these tests the tech tries to determine if there is loss of engine compression , blow-by , or excessive oil consumption due to ring wear . If excessive ring wear is discovered then further engine teardown will be necessary to determine if the engine needs to be rebuilt or replaced . AOL Autos : How often should you change your oil What is the difference between blue and white smoke ? The engine can emit different colors of smoke : Blue smoke : Blue typically means that engine oil is being burned in the combustion chamber . In rare cases , when a vehicle is equipped with a transmission that uses a device called a vacuum modulator valve -LRB- to soften shifts between gears according to engine vacuum -RRB- the diaphragm can break inside the valve and cause transmission fluid to be sucked into the engine via the vacuum line feeding the valve and burn . AOL Autos : Fluid leaks : unsafe and expensive White smoke : White can mean one of two things . -LRB- 1 -RRB- Water condensation from a blown and leaking head gasket : This gasket is the seal between the cylinder head and engine block . Water runs through channels called water jackets that line the cylinder walls and thus carry away heat . When the head gasket blows , the seal between the cylinder head and engine block breaks and water is allowed to enter the combustion chamber . This water is emitted from the engine in the form of water vapor or steam and it is white in color . -LRB- 2 -RRB- Excessive gas : Fuel delivery systems sometimes falter and dump excessive amounts of raw fuel into the intake plenum . When this happens , the amount of fuel is too much for the engine to process . Hence , it exits the engine and tailpipe in the form of pure white fuel vapor . It stinks like raw gas and can be dangerous if it ignites in the hot muffler and catalytic converter . I have witnessed exhaust systems literally blown off the vehicle from the explosion that ensued from ignition of a gas-filled catalytic converter . This condition must be fixed immediately to prevent internal engine damage or worse yet , a serious fire . Can I add oil or coolant and keep driving the vehicle until I can afford to fix it ? Yes . However , be advised that such maladies never get better by themselves ; and they always get worse with time . There is a real possibility that you will get caught on the road driving at highway speeds -LRB- thinking you added enough oil , transmission fluid or engine coolant -RRB- and the oil runs out , causing a catastrophic failure . In general , when it comes to a need for auto repair , conditions never improve on their own . You must maintain your vehicle if you want to get the maximum life out of it and , in the long run , spend the least amount of money . AOL Autos : How to avoid common car problems", "question": "What are some signs of car trouble ?", "answer": "Smoke is coming out of the tailpipe"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A one-of-a-kind bicycle belonging to U.S. cycling legend Lance Armstrong was stolen from a team truck in California just hours after he rode it Saturday on the first day of a nine-day race . Lance Armstrong is racing in the California Amgen Tour as he attempts a comeback after retiring in 2005 . Cancer survivor and seven-time Tour de France champion Armstrong is racing in the Amgen Tour of California this week as he continues his latest comeback after retiring from the sport in 2005 . Armstrong 's first comeback came in 1998 , two years after he was diagnosed with advanced testicular cancer that had spread to his lungs and brain . Doctors gave him a less than 50 percent chance of survival . Armstrong announced the bike theft on his Twitter account Sunday morning and posted a photograph . `` There is only one like it in the world therefore hard to pawn it off . Reward being offered , '' the Texan wrote before going out and finishing fifth in Sunday 's testing first stage won by Spain 's Francisco Mancebo . Swiss Olympic champion Fabian Cancellara , who started the day in the yellow jersey after winning Saturday 's time-trial prologue , pulled out midway through the stage feeling unwell . Armstrong improved from 10th to fifth overall , one minute five seconds adrift , with Astana teammate Levi Leipheimer , the two-time defending champion , in second place behind Mancebo . `` Holy hell . That was terrible , '' commented Armstrong who had a puncture . `` Maybe one of the toughest days I 've had on a bike , purely based on the conditions . I 'm still freezing . '' The bicycle that was stolen is not the one that Armstrong rides every day during the race . The stolen bike is used only for time trials , a race in which cyclists ride individually at staggered intervals over a set distance and try to get the best time . The thieves took four bikes from a truck Armstrong 's Astana team had parked behind a hotel in Sacramento . The other three bicycles belonged to team members Janez Brajkovic , Steve Morabito and Yaroslav Popovych , Astana said . Armstrong , 37 , won the Tour de France , considered the premiere bicycle race in the world , a record seven times from 1999-2005 . The 750-mile Amgen Tour of California ends Sunday . It is the second major race in which Armstrong has participated since announcing his comeback in September . He raced last month in the Tour Down Under in Australia , finishing 29th . Armstrong said he is aiming for another Tour de France victory this summer and was not expected to contend in the Australian race , which he used to gauge his fitness level after more than three years out of the saddle .", "question": "what is the tour de france", "answer": "the premiere bicycle race in the world"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer have put Spain on the brink of reaching the Davis Cup final after winning their opening two singles rubbers against France in convincing fashion . With the red clay of Cordoba suiting the Spanish duo perfectly , world number two Nadal -- showing no ill effects from losing the final of the U.S. Open to Novak Djokovic earlier this week -- set the ball rolling with a crushing 6-3 6-0 6-1 success over Richard Gasquet . And Ferrer doubled Spain 's advantage , brushing aside Gilles Simon 6-1 6-4 6-1 , to leave the four-times champions needing just a win in Saturday 's doubles rubber to reach the final . The New Musketeers : France 's fantastic four bid for Davis Cup glory Despite searing heat , Nadal never allowed Gasquet time to get into their match , with the 10-time grand slam winner telling reporters he was delighted with his performance , considering he felt tired . `` That worked out well , I managed to play with a cool head and do what I had to do throughout without losing concentration for a minute , '' said Nadal . `` There were moments where he helped me in making mistakes , not forcing me to play long points . My service was working well and that made me feel much more comfortable , '' added the Spanish No. 1 . A despondent Gasquet added : `` Even a tired Nadal remains an exceptional player . I could n't find a way past him . It 's a defeat that really hurts . '' Spain are attempting to reach the final for the third time in four years , and are favorites to take the trophy with two of the world 's top five players amongst their ranks . They are also well on their way to avenging last year 's 5-0 whitewash quarterfinal defeat to France Spanish doubles specialists Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco can now finish the job on Saturday when they go up against Michael Llodra and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga . Meanwhile , defending champions Serbia have a mountain to climb in order to retain their title after losing the opening two singles rubbers of their semifinal against Argentina in front of 15,000 partisan fans in Belgrade . David Nalbandian set Argentina on their way with a 6-4 4-6 6-2 6-3 success over Victor Troicki , who replaced Djokovic in the opening singles after the world No. 1 complained of fatigue and a back injury . Then , former U.S. Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro saw off Janko Tipsarevic 7-5 6-3 6-4 to put Argentina within one victory of a place in the final . Nalbandian told reporters he only knew of Djokovic 's absence 30 minutes before the match started . `` But I knew yesterday that I had to be prepared to play anyone . We are well prepared , in good form , and ready to write history . ''", "question": "Which pair crush their opponents for the loss of just 10 games ?", "answer": "Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A smiling Pope Benedict XVI arrived in the United States on Tuesday afternoon to start the six-day , two-city journey that will take him from the White House to the halls of the United Nations . The papal plane , Shepherd 1 , touched down at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland to cheers from a crowd of invited guests gathered for the event . After he stepped off the plane , Benedict did not kiss the ground , as his predecessor , Pope John Paul II , often did during visits . The pontiff was greeted by President Bush , first lady Laura Bush and their daughter Jenna , each of whom shook his hand . Watch the arrival '' It was believed to be the first time an American president has greeted a world dignitary on arrival at Andrews . `` It had the look and feel of a monumental and historic event , '' CNN 's Brian Todd reported . This is the first U.S. papal visit since the attacks of September 11 and Benedict 's first visit to the United States . There will be a welcoming ceremony for the pope on the South Lawn of the White House on Wednesday . Benedict is to speak before meeting with U.S. cardinals and bishops . Where will the pope be ? '' One of the stated goals of the pope 's visit is to energize the U.S. Catholic community , which has an estimated 70 million members . Three years after succeeding Pope John Paul II , Benedict is likely to address the sex scandal within the Catholic Church , the church 's relationship with other faiths , the U.S.-led war in Iraq and the upcoming U.S. presidential election , said John Allen , a CNN Vatican analyst . The fallout from the sex scandal has had a serious impact on the U.S. Catholic Church in terms of its finances , its moral authority and the demoralization of Catholics . During the flight from Rome to Washington , the pope told reporters aboard that he was ashamed of the problem . Watch the pope express his shame about the scandal '' ` Intense ' security Meanwhile , security preparations were under way in the air , on land and in the water . Twenty-seven state , local and federal agencies will protect the pope as he meets with religious leaders , celebrates Mass at a baseball stadium and makes his way around the capital in his distinctive `` popemobile . '' There are no specific threats against Benedict , according to the FBI , but a March audio message from Osama Bin Laden mentioned the pontiff . The centerpiece of the Washington leg of the U.S. visit will be Thursday 's Mass at Nationals Park , a new baseball stadium where 46,000 people will gather to watch the pope . Everyone will go through metal detectors on their way in , and nearby roads and bridges will be closed . Temporary flight restrictions will be in place over the stadium . Watch how Washington is preparing for papal visit '' A 1 1/2 - mile section of the adjacent Anacostia River will be closed during the Mass. . The Coast Guard will patrol the river in boats with machine guns mounted on their bows . `` I am worried about a terrorist attack , '' said Lt. Lynda LeCrone of the Coast Guard . `` We are here to detect , deter and defend against waterborne attack on this highly publicized event . ... We can use force . '' The pope will be making his way around parts of Washington in the popemobile , a Mercedes Benz modified with bulletproof glass surrounding a seating area from which the pope can wave to bystanders along his route . The vehicle , one of three popemobiles in the Vatican motor pool , arrived in the United States last week . It will be driven by a Secret Service agent . The agents have been training with the vehicle . `` We try best-case scenarios and also try worst-case scenarios so our staff will know how to react , '' said Secret Service Special Agent Renee Triplett , who oversees Secret Service training . Benedict will travel to New York on Friday and address the U.N. General Assembly , linking the visit to the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights . He 'll celebrate Mass Sunday morning at Yankee Stadium . Still a mystery Despite three years as the head of the Catholic Church , the pope remains a bit of a mystery to many American Catholics . `` I think most American Catholics may not know a whole lot about him , '' Allen said . `` He 's not the sexy media icon that John Paul II was , but what they 've seen , by and large , they 've liked . '' Of American Catholics polled by the Pew Research Center , 74 percent give Pope Benedict a favorable rating . But the survey points out that he 's not as highly regarded as his predecessor . See other meetings between popes and presidents '' For one , their personalities are different . John Paul was known for his charisma . Benedict is known as an intellectual and introvert . `` He does n't quite get the same energy from crowds that John Paul II got , '' said Cardinal Francis George , president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops . `` John Paul II was extroverted and got energy talking to people , and the present Holy Father loses energy . He has to rest between all these encounters . '' The energy factor is partly due to age . Benedict turns 81 this week . When John Paul became pope , he was only 58 and was able to keep a much more rigorous schedule traveling around the globe . E-mail to a friend CNN 's Jeanne Meserve , Jim Spellman and Mary Snow contributed to this report .", "question": "Who greeted the pontiff ?", "answer": "President Bush , first lady Laura Bush and their daughter Jenna"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A body found Monday beside a North Carolina road is that of 5-year-old Shaniya Davis , who was reported missing a week ago , police said Tuesday . The official cause of death was undetermined as of Tuesday afternoon , Fayetteville police said in written statement . An announced afternoon media briefing was rescheduled for Wednesday morning . Earlier Tuesday , police said additional charges are expected in connection with the case and any charges will be made public as soon as they are filed . Shaniya 's mother , Antoinette Nicole Davis , has been charged with human trafficking and other offenses . Davis was `` prostituting her child , '' police spokeswoman Teresa Chance said after Davis ' arrest over the weekend . Another suspect , Mario Andrette McNeill , has been charged with kidnapping in the case . Shaniya 's father , Bradley Lockhart , made a tearful appeal before reporters Tuesday afternoon , asking that `` everybody makes it a point not to ignore , to look past a situation where a person , a child , or anybody might be in danger ... so that we do n't have another tragedy like Shaniya . '' He said authorities have given him limited information , but he was to meet with them later . `` It 's not the result I wanted , it 's not the result any father or family would want for their children , '' he said . `` But God has a greater calling for all of us . '' Shaniya 's mother reported her missing from their Fayetteville home in a mobile home park on November 10 . According to police , surveillance video taken that day from a hotel in Sanford shows Shaniya in the company of McNeill . `` The investigation at this point indicates that Shaniya Davis was alive at the time she left the Sanford hotel , '' police said in the statement Tuesday . The road where the body was found is near Sanford , which is about 30 miles northwest of Fayetteville . Shaniya 's half-sister , Cheyenne Lockhart , said on HLN 's `` Nancy Grace '' Monday that she found it difficult to believe Davis had treated her daughter so poorly . `` She seemed like the sweetest woman . She did n't come from much , but ... she had the sweetest voice , she had the sweetest personality , and especially toward me . I would never think that she would do anything like that , '' said Lockhart , who shared a father with Shaniya . Their father said Shaniya went to her mother 's home on October 9 . CNN 's Gabriel Falcon contributed to this report .", "question": "What is Shaniya Davis ' mother facing ?", "answer": "has been charged with human trafficking and other offenses"}, {"story_text": "Tripoli , Libya -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Libyans celebrated late into the evening Saturday the reported capture of Moammar Gadhafi 's son , Saif al-Islam , nabbed in a desert gunbattle after an 18-day stakeout . Senior Libyan military officials said they believe the potential Gadhafi successor was trying to make his way to neighboring Niger , where a brother , Saadi , was granted asylum . Revolutionary fighters caught the man wanted by the International Criminal Court between the southwestern oasis town of Obari and southern town of Sabha , military commanders in Tripoli told CNN . The 39-year-old , the last Gadhafi fugitive , was taken to the city of Zintan in the western mountains . Top officials in the town rejoiced over the development . Saif al-Islam had been on the run since shortly after the fall of his father 's Bab al-Aziziya compound in the capital in August . `` I hope that this is the beginning of a state of freedom , transparency and lawfulness , '' acting Prime Minister Abdurrahim El-Keib told reporters in Zintan . `` In the name of the great nation , we would like to allay your fears and tell you that Saif and those who were with him will be tried fairly . They are ensured all their rights under the law . These are the same rights that our nation did n't have for 42 years . '' The ICC in the Netherlands wants Saif al-Islam for alleged crimes against humanity , including murder , committed during the uprising this year . But officials in Libya also indicated they would like to put Saif al-Islam on trial . Although he held no high-level government office , Saif al-Islam was considered by ICC prosecutors to be Moammar Gadhafi 's `` unspoken successor and the most influential person with his inner circle , '' according to an arrest warrant issued in June . The Gadhafi regime formulated a state policy that included quelling demonstrations by lethal force , attacking civilians and imprisoning hundreds , according to the warrant . Saif al-Islam `` exercised control over crucial parts of the state apparatus , including finances and logistics and had the powers of a de facto prime minister . '' ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said the arrest was `` good news . '' `` That is very important because we consider him -- the judges consider him -- the principal , with his father Moammar , of the crimes committed in Libya after February 13 , '' he said . `` He 's arrested , he 's alive , and now he will face justice and that is the most important news . '' Moreno-Ocampo will travel to Libya next week to coordinate efforts to bring Saif al-Islam to justice , an ICC spokeswoman said Saturday . Who is Saif al-Islam Gadhafi ? `` The ICC has had indirect contact with Saif al-Islam Gadhafi through intermediaries during which they discussed what would happen if he surrendered . The last contact was 25 days ago , '' spokeswoman Florence Olara told CNN . ICC spokesman Fadi el-Abdallah told CNN that Libya has an obligation to surrender Saif al-Islam to the ICC . If Libya wants to conduct a trial , it needs to submit a request to judges and show its legal system is capable of properly handling such a proceeding . El-Keib emphasized that `` we will deal with this under our legal system , '' but he said the country intends to communicate and work with the ICC . `` We 'll get to a point where we can take care of this issue easily , '' El Keib said . `` We definitely are interested in respecting the will of our people and also the national interests that we trust that the world will also appreciate . '' Justice Minister Mohammad Al-Alagy said he doubts Libyan courts would want to try Saif al-Islam for crimes against humanity . `` We will weigh out the accusations against Saif Al Islam al-Gadhafi . Afterward , we will know what crimes to try him with . He 's charged with killing and taking the nation 's money and ... hiring mercenaries . Those are crimes the Libyan nation will currently try him for . We ca n't move ahead of ourselves with inaccurate accusations . We will move forward with this investigation . '' Military commanders told CNN they want the National Transitional Council to ensure Saif al-Islam is tried in their country . Outbursts of celebratory gunfire , the honking of horns and cries of joy could be heard in Tripoli as reports of his capture spread . Othman Mliegta , commander of the Al Qa'aq brigades , said he had been told that Saif al-Islam was slightly injured in the clashes that took place when the fighters attempted to capture him but is in good health . A picture released by Libya 's National Transitional Council purportedly of Saif al-Islam appeared to show him half-lying on a low bed with bandages wrapped around the fingers of his right hand . A military commander from Zintan , Fathi Al-Ayed , told CNN that the injuries had been sustained in previous clashes rather than the firefight that led to his capture in the early hours of Saturday . Al-Ayed , who was in Obari at the time , said fighters from the Zintan Brigades had been following a vehicle convoy . As they approached , the convoy tried to flee , firing on the fighters , who returned fire . When the convoy was eventually stopped , Saif al-Islam was arrested , along with up to six others . They were taken to Zintan . Mliegta said those with Saif al-Islam when he was caught did not include his father 's former intelligence chief Abdulla al-Sanussi , also wanted by the ICC . French and British officials , part of the NATO mission that supported the rebels since February , welcomed the capture . `` Saif al-Islam no longer poses a threat to peace and security in Libya , '' said British Foreign Secretary William Hague . `` His arrest will allow the Libyan people to move on to the challenge of rebuilding their country . '' Time.com : The reformer who refused to reform The suspect 's father , who ruled the country for more than 40 years , was killed last month near Sirte after his capture by forces loyal to the National Transitional Council . Asked about guarantees of Saif al-Islam 's safety , Mliegta said he would be treated in the same way as any other detainee . National Transitional Council military liaison Abdelrahman Busin told CNN that any injuries Saif al-Islam had sustained would be treated . There was still some secrecy over his movements , Busin said , but he could guarantee Saif al-Islam 's human rights would be respected if he is handed over to authorities in Tripoli . Giving his reaction to the news of the arrest , Busin said : `` I think the Libyan people can finally actually breathe a big sigh , finally relax to some extent , because he has been threatening to come back with revenge for some time now . So , it 's a close for many , many people . '' A glimpse into the Gadhafi family Once seen as a possible successor to his father and an advocate of reform , Saif al-Islam Gadhafi became a vocal defender of his father 's brutal regime . His whereabouts had been unknown for months . At the end of August he made a call to Syria 's Rai TV , in which he said he was speaking from a suburb of the capital , Tripoli , and urged Libyans to rise up against the rebels . Saif al-Islam , whose mother is Gadhafi 's second wife , Safia , is the second-oldest son of the late strongman . He was educated at the London School of Economics and speaks fluent English . CNN 's Kareem Khadder and Matthew Chance contributed to this report .", "question": "what says ICC about lybia", "answer": "Libya has an obligation to surrender Saif al-Islam to the"}, {"story_text": "CHICAGO , Illinois -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The funeral of a Chicago teenager whose beating death was caught on video was attended Saturday by scores of family members , officials and community leaders , including the Rev. Jesse Jackson . A funeral for Derrion Albert , a teen who was fatally beaten last month , was held Saturday on Chicago 's South Side . Authorities say Derrion Albert , a 16-year-old honors student , was an innocent bystander who ended up in the middle of a September 24 street fight between two factions of students from Christian Fenger Academy High School . `` The killings keep coming -- one need not to be guilty to be killed in this war zone , '' Jackson told reporters before the service Saturday at the Greater Mount Hebron Baptist Church in South Side Chicago . `` We must declare a state of emergency . We have an obligation to prepare for our children safe passage . '' Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis was among the Chicago officials who filed into the church as the the victim 's mother , An-Janette Albert , wept in the arms of loved ones . Watch friends , dignitaries attend funeral '' `` I ca n't believe I 'm here and he 's not with me , '' An-Janette Albert told CNN in an interview earlier in the week . `` I ca n't talk to him . '' Four suspects have been charged with first-degree murder in Derrion Albert 's killing , and police say they are looking for three more people in connection with the beating . Video footage of the incident shows Albert being hit by a person wielding a railroad tie . President Obama , a longtime Chicago resident , is sending Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Attorney General Eric Holder next week to talk with officials from the school , the students and the community about school violence , the White House said . Albert 's sister , 11-year-old Rhaea , told CNN on Thursday that she looked up to her big brother , and now wants to be an even better student in his honor . But his death haunts her . `` I 'm kind of nervous to go outside these days because of what happens to kids now , '' she said . `` Kids around my age ... they could still get hurt , no matter what . '' Watch slain teen 's mother talk about her feelings '' When school let out at 2:50 p.m. on September 24 , Albert was nearly six blocks away -- on his way to a bus stop -- when two groups of students converged on the street , said Tandra Simonton , spokeswoman for the Cook County prosecutor . The factions -- one that lived near the Altgeld Gardens housing development and one in an area known as `` The Ville '' -- began fighting after an earlier shooting that police called gang-related . According to Simonton , Albert was approached by two members of `` The Ville '' faction and struck in the head with a long wooden railroad tie , then punched in the face . After being knocked unconscious for a brief period , Albert regained consciousness and tried to move from the fight , but was then attacked by a second group of five members from the opposing faction , Simonton said . Albert was taken to Roseland Community Hospital and then to Advocate Christ Hospital and Medical Center , where he was pronounced dead .", "question": "What are the police doing regarding Albert 's death ?", "answer": "say they are looking for three more people in connection with the beating"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- For Capt. Kamaljit Singh Kalsi , a doctor , and 2nd Lt. Tejdeep Singh Rattan , a dentist , this is a hill worth fighting for . Tejdeep Singh Rattan , left , and Kamaljit Singh Kalsi are set to report for duty in the U.S. Army in July . These two U.S. military recruits of the Sikh faith are challenging an Army order that they remove their turbans and cut their unshorn hair and beards when they report for active duty in July . In Sikhism , which originated in northwestern India , the turban and unshorn hair are articles of faith and ca n't be removed . But the U.S. military says there are times when the military can not accommodate certain religious practices , `` such as when those religious observations would interfere with the wear of proper military headgear or protective clothing or equipment . '' `` It does n't make sense to me , especially in these hard times , '' Kalsi told CNN . `` The military is hurting for professionals . They need doctors , they need nurses . '' Aided by the Sikh Coalition , a national civil rights group , and a law firm , the men have filed requests that their religious needs be accommodated . They have filed appeals with their immediate superiors and complaints with the inspectors general of the Army and the Pentagon . The Sikh Coalition said Kalsi and Rattan had been assured that when they were recruited to join the Army 's Health Professions Scholarship that their unshorn hair and turbans `` would not be a problem . '' `` Both men were both recruited and commissioned -- with their Sikh articles of faith -- during their respective first years of medical and dental school -LRB- 2001 and 2006 -RRB- through the Army 's Health Professions Scholarship Program . `` Both are concluding their training and are slated to begin active duty in July 2009 . However , the U.S. Army is now disputing their ability to serve with their Sikh identity intact , '' the Sikh Coalition said in an April 14 letter addressed to Defense Secretary Robert Gates . Amardeep Singh , the head of the Sikh Coalition , told CNN that the issue at hand involves observant Sikhs , not those Sikh-Americans who entered the military after removing their turbans and shaving their beards and hair . The issue is all-important for the roughly 500,000-strong American Sikh community , which faced hostility after the September 11 , 2001 , attacks , when people associated them with al Qaeda terrorists because their turbans and beards resembled the militants ' appearance . `` The perception is still there , '' said Singh . `` We 're sort of still feeling it . '' He said surveys -- including one done recently in Queens , New York , where children reported being on the receiving end of verbal and physical abuse -- chronicle the problems Sikhs face . `` These kids are being harassed in New York . It 's Queens , the most diverse county in the United States . If this is happening in Queens , it 's happening in other parts of the country . '' So , he said , the opportunity to serve in the U.S. Army sends the opposite message -- `` that we are part and parcel of the fabric of this country . '' Kalsi , Singh and the Sikh community stress the Sikhs ' military heritage . Kalsi , for example , is the fourth generation in his family to serve in the military , and his ancestors served in India 's military . The Sikh served in allied forces in the two world wars and they serve in the militaries of Great Britain , Canada , Sweden , Pakistan , as well as India . The coalition notes in its letter to Gates that a Sikh doctor and dentist were serving in the Army , `` grandfathered in under the old policy '' that ended in the 1980s when observant Sikhs were barred from admission to the armed forces . Lt. Col. Christopher C. Garver , an Army spokesman , told CNN in an e-mail that `` the Army places high value on the rights of Soldiers to freely observe the tenets of their respective religions . '' `` Accommodation of a Soldier 's religious practices must be examined against military necessity and can not be guaranteed at all times , '' he wrote . `` There are times when the Army can not accommodate for religious reasons , such as when those religious observations would interfere with the wear of proper military headgear or protective clothing or equipment . `` The Army regulations which establish the standards of wear and appearance of the uniform and accommodating religious practices are in accordance with the Department of Defense Instruction on this subject , '' he said . But the Sikhs want the Army to rethink and reconsider their situation . `` If they can come up with another policy that would allow Sikhs to serve , I guarantee you , they will have many , many people join from the Sikh community , '' Kalsi said .", "question": "What does the Army say Sikhs must do ?", "answer": "remove their turbans and cut their unshorn hair and beards when they report for active duty in July"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Diplomats edged closer to finding a way to end the fighting in Gaza on Friday as the United States and Israel signed an agreement designed to stop arms smuggling into the Palestinian territory . Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni says European nations and NATO will be helping with anti-smuggling efforts . U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni signed a memorandum of understanding that calls for an international effort to stem the flow of weaponry and explosives . The agreement outlines a plan to share information and provide technical assistance to stop the smuggling of arms to the militants . The meeting in Washington was one of several diplomatic moves afoot to end the fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza . The diplomatic moves came as Israel 's offensive against Hamas militants continued , with Israeli airstrikes pounding the northern and southern sections of Gaza . Watch more on the latest fighting in Gaza '' U.S. and Israeli diplomats said the agreement includes intelligence coordination to prevent arms from Iran from entering Gaza , maritime efforts to identify ships carrying weaponry , and the sharing of U.S. and European technologies to discover and prevent the use of weapons-smuggling tunnels . Rice said the steps spelled out in the memorandum will `` stem the flow of weapons and explosives into Gaza . '' `` The United States is reaching out to its partners as well . Together , the steps that we and other members of the international community can take will contribute to a durable cease-fire , '' said Rice , noting that `` there must be an international consensus that Gaza never be used as a launching pad against Israeli cities . '' Livni said that ending the fighting in Gaza wo n't be `` achieved by agreements with terror , but with effective arrangements against it '' -- a unified effort by the international community . She said a `` durable '' end to hostilities requires a stop to weapons smuggling into Gaza . `` We have agreed on a series of actions with regional and international players in order to complement Egyptian actions and end the flow of weapons to Gaza , '' Livni said . She said European nations and NATO would be helping with the anti-smuggling efforts . The Bush administration has been consulting with the Barack Obama team about the memorandum of understanding and efforts to forge a cease-fire . Rice has spoken with President-elect Obama , incoming Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and incoming National Security Adviser James Jones . Israel on Thursday dispatched senior Defense Ministry official Amos Gilad to Cairo to discuss a cease-fire proposal , and Gilad was continuing talks in Cairo . A Hamas delegation is also in the Egyptian capital , talking with leaders there who are trying to hammer out a temporary truce . Egypt has hosted peace talks with leaders from Israel and the Palestinian Authority , and has acted as an intermediary between Hamas and Israel . Arab and regional diplomats and leaders also have been meeting to deal with the crisis , but there is no unified Arab stand . The state of Qatar held an emergency summit Friday in an attempt to find a unified Arab voice on Gaza . The meeting brought together some regional leaders , including the presidents of Iran and Syria and the leader of Hamas , Khaled Meshaal . Egypt , Saudi Arabia , Kuwait and the Palestinian Authority were not in attendance . They plan to attend the regular annual Arab League summit scheduled for next week in Kuwait devoted to Gaza . Arab League foreign ministers were meeting in Kuwait City on Friday and were planning the groundwork for next week 's meeting . Six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council -- Saudi Arabia , Bahrain , Kuwait , Oman , Qatar and the United Arab Emirates -- focused on Gaza at their emergency summit Thursday in Riyadh . Also , U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon continued his trip through the region as part of the diplomatic effort to secure a truce . He has called for an immediate cease-fire between Hamas and Israel and said he is encouraged that the Egyptian government is trying to broker a truce . He met with Israeli officials Thursday and condemned an Israeli strike that damaged the U.N. Relief and Works Agency 's compound in Gaza City , sparked a massive fire and injured three people . Once the fighting stops , the two sides can `` discuss how to make this cease-fire durable and sustainable , '' he said . CNN 's Elise Labott and Caroline Faraj contributed to this report", "question": "Was an agreement made ?", "answer": "United States and Israel signed an agreement designed to stop arms smuggling into the Palestinian territory"}, {"story_text": "TBLISI , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- As Georgian troops launched a major military offensive Friday to regain control over the breakaway province of South Ossetia , the former Soviet republic 's president accused Russia of bombing its territory . Georgian troops fire rockets at seperatist South Ossetian troops from an unnamed location not far from Tskhinvali . According to the Associated Press , Mikhail Saakashvili said in a televised statement that Russian aircraft bombed several Georgian villages and other civilian facilities . He said there were injuries and damage to the buildings . `` A full-scale aggression has been launched against Georgia , '' he said in a televised statement . A Georgian official said seven people were hurt in the attack , AP reported . Saakashvili urged Russia to immediately stop bombing Georgian territory . `` Georgia will not yield its territory or renounce its freedom , '' he said . Meanwhile , AP reported that Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin , speaking in televised remarks Friday during his trip to the opening of the Beijing Olympics , blamed Georgia for launching the effort to take control over South Ossetia and warned it would cause an unspecified retaliatory action . Watch more about the increased violence in Georgia \u00c2 '' The bombing charge came about an hour after Russia 's ambassador to the United Nations brushed off a question about whether Russia would intervene militarily in a conflict between Georgia and its breakaway territory . Violence in the former Soviet republic prompted an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council that lasted into Friday morning . The security council failed to issue a statement on the dramatic escalation of violence in a breakaway territory of the former Soviet republic of Georgia . Meanwhile , Georgia 's president also announced that his government will be calling up reservists as fighting continued to rage in South Ossetia 's capital . Georgian forces launched fresh attacks into region late Thursday after a top government official said a unilateral cease-fire offer was met with artillery fire . About 2,000 Georgian troops attempted to storm the breakaway territory 's capital overnight and were regrouping south of the city , Tskhinvali , according to Russia 's ITAR-TASS news agency . Georgia 's ambassador to the United Nations , Irakli Alasania , said that `` Russia has become a party to the conflict . '' He said Russia has supported separatists in South Ossetia , a charge Russia dismissed . Around 10 a.m. Friday , Georgia said Russian military aircraft violated Georgian airspace and dropped two bombs on Kareli , a part of Georgia that is about 50 miles northwest of the capital , Tblisi , and is not in the conflict zone , said Shota Utiashvili , spokesman for the Georgian Ministry of Interior . No casualties were reported , he said . Georgian troops pushed into South Ossetia after separatists attacked Georgian soil , destroying one village and killing several civilians , soldiers and police officers , Alasania said . Russia 's ambassador to the United Nations , Vitaly Churkin , denied allegations that his country planned to intervene militarily . In comments to the Security Council , he decried the `` blatant aggressive action of Georgia . '' The latest developments follow a week of sporadic clashes between the Georgian central government and authorities in South Ossetia , which declared its independence from Georgia in the early 1990s after a bloody ethnic conflict between Georgians and Ossetians . Alexander Lomaia , the secretary of Georgia 's National Security Council , said his country had to act . `` The objective of the operation is to protect the civilian population , to ensure their security and then convince the separatists that there is not a military solution to this conflict , '' he said . Lomaia said Georgian troops were responding proportionately to separatist mortar and artillery attacks on two villages -- attacks he said followed a Thursday evening cease-fire and call for negotiations by Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili . `` There were up to 10 people killed , including peacekeepers and the peaceful population , and up to 23 people wounded , including four of them wounded quite badly , '' Lomaia said . But he said Georgia wants a peaceful solution to the conflict and is leaving the door open to negotiations and has offered the territory `` the widest possible autonomy . '' The official news agency of the South Ossetian government reported heavy shelling in the South Ossetian capital , Tskhinvali , that left dozens of buildings ablaze . Lomaia said Georgian troops have no plans to reclaim control over the territory as part of the operation launched Thursday night -- but he said how far they advance `` is really dependent on how the situation evolves on the ground . '' `` Obviously , there will be a moment when we will be forced to respond , we will be forced to advance in order to prevent such bombardment , '' he said . `` But at the time being , there is no such aim of the operation . '' Georgia , located on the Black Sea coast between Russia and Turkey , has been split by Russian-backed separatist movements in South Ossetia and another region , Abkhzia . Neither region 's government has international recognition . -- Journalist Elene Gotsadze contributed to this report .", "question": "Where is Kareli ?", "answer": "Kareli , a part of Georgia that is about 50 miles northwest of the capital , Tblisi"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Libya will pay hundreds of millions of dollars to victims of terrorist attacks involving Americans in an agreement signed and finalized Thursday , the U.S. State Department said . U.S. Assistant Secretary of State David Welch , left , and Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister Ahmad Fitouri sign the deal . Assistant Secretary of State David Welch signed the deal in Tripoli , Libya , on Thursday . If implemented , the deal will end Libya 's legal liability in numerous lawsuits from families of victims of what the United States considers Libyan terrorist acts . It also paves the way for stronger ties between the two nations and increased U.S. involvement in the oil-rich nation . `` This resolves the last major historical issue that has stood in the way of a more normal relationship between our two countries , '' Welch said . The deal had hinged on congressional approval . Last month , just before leaving for summer recess , Congress unanimously adopted the Libyan Claims Resolution Act , sponsored by Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg , D-New Jersey . The legislation cleared the way to end the feud with Libya over terrorist attacks and creates a fund for victim payments . `` The Libyans did n't believe that Congress would ever be helpful , and Congress did n't think Libya would ever do it , '' Welch said Thursday . `` We found a diplomatic way to accommodate both sides by turning suspicion into an asset . '' Under the new law , Congress gives the Bush administration the authority to restore sovereign immunity for Libya only when the United States receives the agreed-upon money to pay American claimants in the fund and the secretary of state certifies it . See a timeline of events following the Pan Am attack '' Once the money is received into the fund , Libya would be exempted from legislation passed this year enabling terrorism victims to be compensated from frozen assets of governments blamed for attacks . The 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie , Scotland , killed 270 people , including 189 Americans . The 1986 La Belle disco bombing in Berlin , Germany , killed two American servicemen and injured 79 Americans . Libya has paid 268 families involved in the Pan Am bombing $ 8 million each of a $ 10 million settlement . It was withholding the remaining $ 2 million owed to each family over a dispute regarding U.S. obligations to Tripoli . Under the deal , Libya would pay more than $ 500 million to settle remaining claims from the Lockerbie case and more than $ 280 million for victims of the La Belle disco , according to Jim Kreindler , the lead attorney for the Pan Am families . It would also set aside funds to compensate victims of several other incidents blamed on Libya but for which Libya has n't accepted responsibility . The total settlement could exceed $ 1 billion . The pact , supported by the victims ' families , closes the book on a contentious period in U.S.-Libyan relations . Ties between the two countries began to improve in 2003 , when Libya gave up its weapons of mass destruction program and began compensating Lockerbie victims . But lingering lawsuits prevented the two countries from fully normalizing ties . A joint U.S.-Libya statement issued Thursday in Tripoli said `` both parties welcomed the establishment of a process to provide fair compensation for their respective nationals , and thereby turn their focus to the future of their bilateral relationship . '' This spring , Libya made a proposal to the Bush administration that held some promise in settling the dispute , Welch said . Over the next several months , he and State Department lawyers held closed-door negotiating sessions with the Libyan delegation in London , England ; Paris , France ; Berlin ; and Abu Dhabi , United Arab Emirates , where he finally secured a tentative agreement in late July . The afternoon he came back from Abu Dhabi , Welch met with Lautenberg and urged passage of the legislation . Welch said Libya would expect an end to the claims and put the longstanding dispute with Libya to rest , despite the lingering mistrust of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi . `` This could not have worked without a great deal of honesty on everyone 's part , '' Welch said . On Thursday , Lautenberg issued a statement expressing satisfaction with the agreement . `` For too many years , Libya has refused to accept responsibility for its horrific acts of terror against American victims , '' he said . `` The signing of this agreement means these victims and their families can get the long overdue justice they deserve . Today 's agreement is a critical development in moving Libya forward on its path toward diplomatic respect , '' he said . The State Department said the `` agreement is being pursued on a purely humanitarian basis and does not constitute an admission of fault by either party . '' Senior State Department officials said the formula was designed to respect Libyan sensitivities about compensating victims for incidents for which it has n't taken responsibility But it also allows Libya to settle outstanding claims for U.S. air strikes on Tripoli in 1986 , in which Libya claims more than 40 of its citizens were killed , including Gadhafi 's adopted daughter . Donations to settle Libyan claims would be placed in the `` voluntary '' fund , from which each country involved in the claims draws the money to pay its citizens . Welch said no U.S. taxpayer money would be used to compensate Libya but said he was `` optimistic '' donations to settle Libyan claims would be made . Other senior U.S. officials said American companies eager to do business in Libya could possibly make a contribution . The deal is to be followed by a U.S. upgrading of relations with Libya , including the confirmation of a U.S. ambassador and possible American aid . Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is expected to visit Libya before the end of the year .", "question": "Were families given anything in compensation for their loss ?", "answer": "Libya has paid 268 families involved in the Pan Am bombing $ 8 million each of a $ 10 million settlement"}, {"story_text": "MIAMI , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Father Alberto Cutie , an internationally known Catholic priest who admitted having a romantic affair and breaking his vow of celibacy , was married this week in Miami , Florida . Father Alberto Cutie was married in Coral Gables , Florida , on Tuesday , according to court documents . Cutie , 40 , announced last month that he was leaving the Catholic Church and joining the Episcopal Church . A judge performed the marriage ceremony Tuesday in Coral Gables , Florida , for Cutie and Ruhama B. Canellis , 35 , according to Miami-Dade County court documents . Cutie , whose name is pronounced koo-tee-AY , is a native of Puerto Rico , and Canellis was born in Guatemala . He was received into the Episcopal Church on May 28 at Trinity Cathedral in Miami . He will pursue the priesthood in the Episcopalian faith , the Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida said in a written statement . It was not immediately clear how long the process would take . Cutie -- sometimes called `` Father Oprah '' because of the advice he 's given on Spanish-language media -- shocked some in the Catholic community when photographs of him embracing a bathing-suit-clad woman emerged last month in TV Notas magazine . He acknowledged having carried on a two-year relationship with the woman , who at that time had not been publicly identified . `` This is something I 've struggled with , '' he told CNN in May . `` I do n't support the breaking of the celibacy promise . '' Referring to his relationship with the woman , he said , `` It looked like a frivolous thing on the beach , you know , and that 's not what it is . It 's something deeper than that . '' After the photographs surfaced , Cutie was removed from his duties at St. Francis De Sales Catholic Church in Miami Beach and on the Radio Paz and Radio Peace Networks . Cutie had been president and general director of Pax Catholic Communications , home of Radio Paz and Radio Peace . He has also written newspaper advice columns and a self-help book , `` Real Life , Real Love . '' John C. Favalora , archbishop of the Catholic Church 's Miami archdiocese , said last month that Cutie 's actions have `` caused a grave scandal within the Catholic Church . '' Favalora also had harsh words for the Episcopal Church 's decision to accept Cutie . `` This truly is a serious setback for ecumenical relations and cooperation between us , '' he said .", "question": "What happened after that came the photos ?", "answer": "removed from his duties"}, {"story_text": "BERLIN , Germany -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel defeated her foreign minister Sunday to win another four-year term , according to exit polls reported by German television network NTV . German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her husband , Joachim Sauer , vote Sunday in Berlin . NTV reported Merkel 's center-right Christian Democratic Union -LRB- CDU -RRB- party received 33.7 percent of the vote , based on exit poll projections . The polls show Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier 's center-left Social Democrats received 23.4 percent , the network reported . `` Not only are you happy , I am very happy as well , '' Merkel told cheering supporters at her headquarters . `` We 've accomplished something great . We 've done it . We 've reached our election goal , to retain a stable majority in Germany and a new government with a new coalition . '' The crowd chanted , `` Angie , Angie , Angie . '' Steinmeier , meanwhile , conceded what he called `` a bitter defeat '' for the Social Democrats . `` The voters have decided , and the result is a bad day , '' Steinmeier said in a speech to supporters . He thanked those who helped lead his campaign and those who supported him . The two parties currently are in a coalition , with Steinmeier as foreign minister . Few doubted that Merkel 's party would receive the most votes . The question was what kind of coalition will be formed -- another broad centrist one , across the political divide , or a more right-leaning one . Merkel favors cutting taxes to spur growth , while Steinmeier opposes tax breaks . The country is deep in debt . What 's at stake in the German election '' Voters chose members of the lower house of parliament , or Bundestag , who will pick the head of government . Each German had two votes -- one for a member of parliament representing a district and another for a political party . The election Sunday followed release of a threatening videos from al Qaeda and the Taliban warning Germans not to vote for leaders who want to keep the country 's troops in Afghanistan . Security was tightened at airports and train stations , and authorities on Saturday banned all flights over the Oktoberfest beer festival until it ends on October 4 . The annual event attracts about 6 million people . About 62 million people were eligible to vote , out of Germany 's population of 82 million . CNN 's Fred Pleitgen contributed to this report .", "question": "What share of the vote did Merkel 's center-right Christian Democratic Union get ?", "answer": "33.7 percent of the"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Some 220 square miles of ice has collapsed in Antarctica and an ice shelf about seven times the size of Manhattan is `` hanging by a thread , '' the British Antarctic Survey said Tuesday , blaming global warming . Scientists say the size of the threatened shelf is about 5,282 square miles . `` We are in for a lot more events like this , '' said professor Ted Scambos , a glaciologist at the National Snow and Ice Data Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder . Scambos alerted the British Antarctic Survey after he noticed part of the Wilkins ice shelf disintegrating on February 28 , when he was looking at NASA satellite images . Late February marks the end of summer at the South Pole and is the time when such events are most likely , he said . Watch aerial footage of the area '' `` The amazing thing was , we saw it within hours of it beginning , in between the morning and the afternoon pictures of that day , '' Scambos said of the large chunk that broke away on February 28 . The Wilkins ice shelf lost about 6 percent of its surface a decade ago , the British Antarctic Survey said in a statement on its Web site Another 220 square miles -- including the chunk that Scambos spotted -- had splintered from the ice shelf as of March 8 , the group said . `` As of mid-March , only a narrow strip of shelf ice was protecting several thousand kilometers of potential further breakup , '' the group said . Scambos ' center put the size of the threatened shelf at about 5,282 square miles , comparable to the state of Connecticut , or about half the area of Scotland . See a map and photos as the collapse progressed '' Once Scambos called the British Antarctic Survey , the group sent an aircraft on a reconnaissance mission to examine the extent of the breakout . `` We flew along the main crack and observed the sheer scale of movement from the breakage , '' said Jim Elliott , according to the group 's Web site . `` Big hefty chunks of ice , the size of small houses , look as though they 've been thrown around like rubble -- it 's like an explosion , '' he said . `` Wilkins is the largest ice shelf on the Antarctic Peninsula yet to be threatened , '' David Vaughan of the British Antarctic Survey said , according to the Web site . `` I did n't expect to see things happen this quickly . The ice shelf is hanging by a thread -- we 'll know in the next few days or weeks what its fate will be . '' But with Antarctica 's summer ending , Scambos said the `` unusual show is over for this season . '' Ice shelves are floating ice sheets attached to the coast . Because they are already floating , their collapse does not have any effect on sea levels , according to the Cambridge-based British Antarctic Survey . Scambos said the ice shelf is not currently on the path of the increasingly popular tourist ships that travel from South America to Antarctica . But some plants and animals may have to adapt to the collapse . `` Wildlife will be impacted , but they are pretty adept at dealing with a topsy-turvy world , '' he said . `` The ecosystem is pretty resilient . '' Several ice shelves -- Prince Gustav Channel , Larsen Inlet , Larsen A , Larsen B , Wordie , Muller and Jones -- have collapsed in the past three decades , the British Antarctic Survey said . Larsen B , a 1,254-square-mile ice shelf , comparable in size to the U.S. state of Rhode Island , collapsed in 2002 , the group said . Scientists say the western Antarctic peninsula -- the piece of the continent that stretches toward South America -- has warmed more than any other place on Earth over the past 50 years , rising by 0.9 degrees Fahrenheit each decade . Scambos said the poles will be the leading edge of what 's happening in the rest of the world as global warming continues . `` Even though they seem far away , changes in the polar regions could have an impact on both hemispheres , with sea level rise and changes in climate patterns , '' he said . News of the Wilkins ice shelf 's impending breakup came less than two weeks after the United Nations Environment Program reported that the world 's glaciers are melting away and that they show `` record '' losses . `` Data from close to 30 reference glaciers in nine mountain ranges indicate that between the years 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 the average rate of melting and thinning more than doubled , '' the UNEP said March 16 . The most severe glacial shrinking occurred in Europe , with Norway 's Breidalblikkbrea glacier , UNEP said . That glacier thinned by about 10 feet in 2006 , compared with less than a foot the year before , it said . E-mail to a friend CNN 's Marsha Walton contributed to this report .", "question": "What are ice shelves ?", "answer": "floating ice sheets attached to the coast"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It 's early April , and President Obama is on his way to France with the nation 's top diplomat at his side . As he and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton converse in a private room aboard Air Force One , a photographer peers through the half-open door and snaps a candid picture of the formerly bitter campaign rivals . President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton share a conversation on board Air Force One . Photographing two of the most powerful people in the country up-close and personal may seem like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to most Americans . But for photographer Pete Souza , it 's a common occurrence . `` I try to photograph everything . Every meeting that the president does , '' Souza told CNN 's John King on `` State of the Union . '' On leave of absence from his normal post as an assistant professor of photojournalism at Ohio University 's School of Visual Communication , Souza is the chief official White House photographer for President Obama , meaning he has an all-access pass to the president 's most intimate and private moments . `` I look at my job as a visual historian , '' Souza said on Sunday . `` The most important thing is to create a good visual archive for history , so 50 or a hundred years from now , people can go back and look at all these pictures . '' Watch Souza talk to CNN 's John King about his work '' While he relishes his unobstructed seat to a historic administration , he knows his limits . `` I 'm smart enough to know that if he 's having a one-on-one meeting with a head of state , I let them have some privacy , '' he said . `` I let him initiate any conversation . I am not there to take up his time in conversation . '' Souza brings a unique perspective to the job , having also been the official White House photographer during Ronald Reagan 's presidency . He acknowledged that Reagan was probably more formal , but told CNN he sees similarities between the two . See some of Souza 's photos '' `` I think they 're both comfortable with themselves , which makes them great photographic subjects . The presence of the camera in behind-the-scene situations did n't seem to bother either president , which is good for me , '' he said . Souza released four never-before-seen photos on `` State of the Union , '' including one of the president and the first lady sharing a moment on the dance floor at the annual Governor 's Ball , the couple 's first big event at the White House . `` Earth , Wind and Fire was the band and I think the president was singing along to the music . I think their intention is to bring some fun to the White House , too , '' Souza said while reflecting on the picture . Previously a photographer for the Chicago Tribune , Souza began documenting Obama 's ascension to the presidency in 2004 after a former colleague asked him to shoot the young politician 's first year as a U.S. senator . Last year , Souza published `` The Rise of Barack Obama , '' an extensive book of photos chronicling Obama 's rise from junior senator of Illinois to the highest office in the country . When asked to choose one picture as his favorite , Souza selected one of the president and first lady softly butting heads in a freight elevator , surrounded by staffers who appear to be avoiding eye contact with the couple . Michelle Obama is smiling playfully wearing her husband 's jacket . `` I chose this one because it 's a genuine moment . It was chilly in the elevator . He took his coat off , put it around his wife 's shoulders and then there is this private moment going on between the two of them , '' he said . `` It 's just a complete storytelling picture . '' Though the historic nature of Obama 's presidency is not lost on Souza , he does n't view Obama any differently than past commanders in chief . `` Certainly you feel a sense of history , no question about that . When I look at him , I look at him as the president . I do n't look at him as the African-American president , I look at him as the president . ''", "question": "What does Pete Souza teach at Ohio University ?", "answer": "photojournalism"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Colorado woman is being pursued as a `` person of interest '' in connection with phone calls that triggered the raid of a Texas polygamist ranch , authorities said Friday . Rozita Swinton , 33 , has been arrested in a case that is not directly related to the Texas raid . Texas Rangers are seeking Rozita Swinton of Colorado Springs , Colorado , `` regarding telephone calls placed to a crisis center hot line in San Angelo , Texas , in late March 2008 , '' the Rangers said in a written statement . The raid of the YFZ -LRB- Yearning for Zion -RRB- Ranch in Eldorado , Texas , came after a caller -- who identified herself as a 16-year-old girl -- said she had been physically and sexually abused by an adult man with whom she was forced into a `` spiritual marriage . '' The release said a search of Swinton 's home in Colorado uncovered evidence that possibly links her to phone calls made about the ranch , run by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . `` The possibility exists that Rozita Swinton , who has nothing to do with the FLDS church , may have been a woman who made calls and pretended she was the 16-year-old girl named Sarah , '' CNN 's Gary Tuchman reported . Swinton , 33 , has been charged in Colorado with false reporting to authorities and is in police custody . Police said that arrest was not directly related to the Texas case . Authorities raided the Texas ranch April 4 and removed 416 children . Officials have been trying to identify the 16-year-old girl , referred to as Sarah , who claimed she had been abused in the phone calls . FLDS members have denied the girl , supposedly named Sarah Jessop Barlow , exists . Some of the FLDS women who spoke with CNN on Monday said they believed the calls were a hoax . While the phone calls initially prompted the raid , officers received a second search warrant based on what they said was evidence of sexual abuse found at the compound . In court documents , investigators described seeing teen girls who appeared pregnant , records that showed men marrying multiple women and accounts of girls being married to adult men when they were as young as 13 . A court hearing began Thursday to determine custody of children who were removed from the ranch . E-mail to a friend", "question": "Where did this occur ?", "answer": "Eldorado , Texas"}, {"story_text": "HARARE , Zimbabwe -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Cash-strapped Zimbabwe revealed plans Saturday to circulate $ 200 million notes , just days after introducing a $ 100 million bill , Finance Minister Samuel Mumbengegwi said . Zimbabwe central bank governor Gideon Gono shows a new $ 50 million note Thursday . After the $ 100 million note began circulating on Thursday , the price of a loaf of bread soared from 2 million to 35 million Zimbabwean dollars . Amid allegations of illegal foreign currency trading , the government also fired top executives at four major banks Thursday , according to The Herald , a state-owned newspaper . Many anxious residents of the nation 's capital , Harare , have been sleeping outside banks , waiting for them to open so they can make withdrawals before the institutions run out of cash . Watch how Zimbabwe 's children are suffering \u00c2 '' The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe had capped maximum daily withdrawals at 500,000 Zimbabwean dollars : about 25 U.S. cents , or about a quarter of Thursday 's price of a loaf of bread . Last week , restrictions on cash withdrawals -- due to severe money shortages -- triggered riots . Sixteen soldiers now face possible court-martial due to alleged looting and assaults on civilians and police during the unrest , police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena told The Herald on Saturday . `` We are still investigating the case , '' he said . `` But we expect the soldiers to appear before a court-martial once investigations are completed . '' After spending several days waiting in bank lines , soldiers rampaged through downtown Harare , destroying shops and attacking riot police sent to disperse the protesters . Cash shortages are not the only crisis plaguing Zimbabwe . The United Nations has said that more than half of Zimbabwe 's population is in dire need of food and clean water . Watch how a cholera epidemic is affecting Zimbabweans \u00c2 '' Acute shortages of essentials such as fuel , electricity , medicines and food are key indicators of a failed economy , according to economic observers . `` The -LSB- Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe -RSB- is failing to deliver the demands of market , prices are doubling daily , and that demands more cash , '' Zimbabwean economist John Robertson said . `` The huge price increases are resulting from severe shortages of most goods . '' The once-prosperous African nation is facing its worst economic and humanitarian crisis since attaining independence from Great Britain in 1980 . Zimbabwe 's official rate of inflation is 231 million percent , the world 's highest . Critics of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe link hyperinflation to his policies on land distribution and unbudgeted payments to war veterans . Zimbabwe has had no Cabinet since the March presidential election . Its political troubles have aggravated its humanitarian and economic crisis , including a cholera outbreak that has killed close to 600 people since August . A CNN journalist in Harare contributed to this report .", "question": "How much does a loaf of bread cost in Zimbabwe ?", "answer": "35 million Zimbabwean dollars"}, {"story_text": "BERLIN , Germany -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Women 's boxing will be included at the 2012 Olympic Games in London , the president of the International Olympic Committee announced Thursday . Germany 's Ina Menzer , left , fights American Franchesca Alcanter during a WIBF and WBC featherweight bout in May . The decision came during a two-day IOC Executive Board meeting in Berlin , at which board members also decided to propose golf and rugby for inclusion in the 2016 Olympic Games . `` I can only rejoice about the decision of inclusion of women 's boxing , '' IOC President Jacques Rogge told reporters . `` I think it 's a great decision . Boxing was the sole -LRB- Olympic -RRB- sport with no women involved . `` The sport of women 's boxing has progressed a lot , a tremendous amount , in the last five years and it was about time to include them in the Games . '' Have your say - should women 's boxing be included ? A men 's class will likely be axed to make room for three women 's weight categories at London 2012 , the UK Press Association reported . Women will compete in the flyweight 48-51kg class , lightweight 56-60kg and middleweight 69-75kg , the agency said . When the IOC dropped baseball and softball from the 2012 Olympic program several years ago , it said it would consider adding new sports that had a clean reputation and a wide appeal . Rogge pointed out that women 's boxing has around 200 athletes who could potentially compete in 2012 , while softball has only around 120 . As a result , he said , the IOC considered women 's boxing to be more popular . Women 's boxing has boomed in Britain since 2005 , with the number of registered female fighters rising from 50 to 600 , PA reported . Softball and baseball were considered for inclusion in the 2016 Games along with squash , karate , roller sports , golf and rugby , but the board decided to consider only the last two . Blog : IOC has picked the wrong sports , says CNN 's Paul Gittings The IOC has not yet selected the host city for 2016 , but its board members will submit golf and rugby to the full IOC session for a final decision at its meeting in Copenhagen , Denmark , in October . `` Golf and rugby scored high on all the criteria , '' Rogge told the IOC 's official Web site . `` They have global appeal , a geographically diverse line-up of top iconic athletes and an ethic that stresses fair play . '' The International Golf Federation has proposed two four-day strokeplay tournaments for men and women , with 18 holes per round and medals awarded to the three players in each with the lowest scores . The International Rugby Board has proposed men 's and women 's Sevens tournaments , with 12 teams in each being divided into two pools before semifinals and finals .", "question": "Which sports were unsuccessful ?", "answer": "Softball and baseball"}, {"story_text": "London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The fashion world was Friday mourning the death of celebrated British designer Alexander McQueen as questions were raised over the future of his multi-million dollar luxury clothing brand . A day after McQueen was found dead in his London home , the 40-year-old 's flagship store in the city was closed , while flowers were laid in honor and a flag was flown at half mast over the shuttered doorway . A manager at the Alexander McQueen store in New York , where similar memorial scenes of flowers and candles were reported , said the shop would also be closed in light of the designer 's death . McQueen 's New York fans show support Emerging from a modest background as the son of an east London taxi driver to become a household name , McQueen 's success has been hailed as a testament to his talent , but analysts say there are doubts his name will endure . Design brands have previously outlived their founders , with notable examples being the success of Frenchman Yves Saint Laurent 's empire despite his death in 2008 , and the survival of Gianni Versace 's label following his 1997 murder . Industry insiders say McQueen 's hands-on involvement in his business as the creative driving force behind the label 's bold and eccentric output will be difficult to sustain without the designer at the helm . Gucci Group , which acquired a 51 percent stake in the McQueen brand in 2001 , has yet to make a statement on the future of the label and its 11 stores worldwide which , according to the Financial Times , was not profitable until 2007 . The fashion house has not disclosed current figures for the brand which , the Times of London newspaper reported Gucci paid # 13.6 million -LRB- $ 21.2 million -RRB- for its stake in . Tim Gadoffre , CEO of luxury brand analyst Marival & Company , said McQueen 's death represented a `` disaster '' for the brand and said there would be substantial doubts over the label 's ability to survive its visionary founder 's death . Says Gadoffre , despite huge celebrity success , the McQueen brand had only just been consolidated as a going concern and the next decade would have been crucial in converting the designer 's name into a long-term franchise . `` It is too early to tell , but I 'm not convinced it is possible to project the business any further without him , '' he told CNN . Nevertheless , retailers were reporting a sharp rise in sales of McQueen items in the immediate wake of his death . A spokeswoman for the upscale Liberty of London department store told CNN it had seen a 14-fold increase in McQueen brand sales , with top sellers including his signature skull print scarf and main line collection . McQueen 's death reportedly occurred on the eve of the funeral of his mother , Joyce , with whom he was said to have a very close relationship . Tributes have poured in for McQueen , with many in the fashion and film industry hailing the `` enfant terrible '' for his diverse clothing creations and for dressing stars such as Sarah Jessica Parker and Nicole Kidman . `` His brilliant imagination knew no bounds as he conjured up collection after collection of extraordinary designs , '' said British Vogue Editor Alexandra Shulman , adding that his work `` influenced a whole generation of designers . '' `` His death is the hugest loss to anyone who knew him and for very many who did n't , '' she said in a statement on the magazine 's Web site . `` We are deeply shocked and saddened at the news of Alexander McQueen 's untimely death , '' said a statement on the London Fashion Week Web site . `` He was a unique talent and one of the world 's greatest designers . Our thoughts are with his friends and family at this sad time . '' Although McQueen was not showing a collection at the London Fashion Week , he was to unveil his ready-to-wear collection at the Paris fashion shows in March . His 2010 spring/summer collection featured alien-inspired makeup and prints , according to Vogue , and `` was lauded as his best by the fashion press . '' Dresses in that ready-to-wear line had exaggerated tiny waists and rounded hips , and models on the catwalk wore high club-like boots with them . Model Naomi Campbell said she was `` truly devastated '' by McQueen 's death . `` His talent had no boundaries and he was an inspiration to everyone who worked with him and knew him , '' she said in a statement released by her publicist . Designer Carolina Herrera called McQueen `` one of a - kind '' and said in a statement that he was `` one of the most talented designers of his generation . This is a big loss for the world . '' The designer was born as Lee Alexander McQueen in 1970 in London 's East End , the son of a taxi driver . He left school with few qualifications , but later studied fashion at London 's prestigious St. Martin 's College and worked on the famous Savile Row street of tailors at a company that made suits for Prince Charles . One anecdote that helped cement his bad-boy image claimed that he had once embroidered a suit for the Prince of Wales with a profanity sewn into the lining . His clothing line was purchased in 1991 by stylist Isabella Blow , who became a close friend . She committed suicide in 2007 , five years after his label was brought into the Gucci Group .", "question": "Where was McQueen found ?", "answer": "his London home"}, {"story_text": "NEWPORT NEWS , Virginia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Suspended NFL quarterback Michael Vick will go to work for a construction company in Newport News , Virginia , after he leaves federal prison for bankrolling a dogfighting operation , his lawyer said Thursday . Football player Michael Vick listens as his lawyers make the case for Chapter 11 bankruptcy . The details emerged in a Chapter 11 confirmation hearing in Virginia Eastern Bankruptcy Court to determine how Vick , 28 , will work his way out of bankruptcy . Vick 's lawyer , Michael Blumenthal , told the court that the embattled footballer will take the stand first thing Friday and explain how he intends to turn over a new leaf after spending nearly two years in prison on a federal conspiracy charge . Vick 's 23-month sentence ends in July , but he is expected to be released from the federal penitentiary in Leavenworth , Kansas , in May and serve the remainder of his sentence in home confinement , most likely in Virginia . He is a native of Newport News . The sports agent who landed Vick 's landmark 10-year , $ 140 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons also testified that he expects Vick will be back in the game as soon as September -- if the NFL reinstates him . Vick is in great shape and could once again command millions of dollars if he returns to football , Joel Segal told the court . The decision to reinstate Vick rests with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell , with whom Segal said he had consulted . Vick was suspended from the NFL after his conviction but remains under contract with the Falcons , Segal said , though he does not expect the Falcons to retain Vick 's rights if he is reinstated . Vick and many of his creditors are depending on a return to football as his main source of income . But Segal admitted that he has no way of knowing whether Vick will be reinstated , because the decision lies with Goodell . In the meantime , Vick is ready to `` get back in the community in a positive light '' and demonstrate remorse for his actions , Segal said . He has agreed to participate in a documentary about him that will net him $ 600,000 , Segal said . He will also work 40 hours a week for W.M. Jordan , a construction company based in Newport News . The employment is not part of the official 61-page agreement tentatively worked out between 's Vick 's lawyers and numerous creditors . The parties involved in the hearing will continue to present evidence and testimony in an effort to convince the judge that Vick qualifies for Chapter 11 bankruptcy . Attorneys and representatives from the creditors , including Bank of America , the Atlanta Falcons and the City of Newport News , to name a few , packed the courtroom Thursday as the hearing got under way . Vick 's mother sat in the gallery with his fianc\u00e9e , who blew him a kiss during one break in the proceedings . Among the terms included in Vick 's plan of reorganization : \u2022 Vick will retain the first $ 750,000 of his income . \u2022 A percentage of his income above $ 750,000 will go to a trust fund . CNN 's Eric Fiegel contributed to this report .", "question": "Where will Vick work 40 hours a week ?", "answer": "for a construction company in Newport News , Virginia"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Transportation Security Administration is looking into a report that Louisiana Sen. David Vitter had an angry altercation with an airline worker at Washington Dulles International Airport last week . Louisiana Sen. David Vitter reportedly went into a `` tirade '' with a Washington Dulles International Airport worker . The agency is not doing a formal investigation , TSA spokesman Sterling Payne told CNN , but it is gathering information to determine if one is needed . `` We are looking into the reported incident , '' Payne said . An aide to Vitter said Friday morning the Republican senator had not been contacted by the TSA and maintains the media account of the incident is overblown . Roll Call had a report in its gossip column earlier this week , based on an unnamed eyewitness , that Vitter arrived at the airport 20 minutes before his United Airlines flight was scheduled to depart . The door to the boarding bridge was already closed , but Vitter opened it anyway , triggering an alarm . The paper said an airline worker warned him not to enter the walkway , which led to a `` tirade '' by Vitter who `` remained defiant . '' The source told Roll Call the senator left the area before airport police arrived . Vitter has refused to answer reporters ' questions about the incident , but in a statement Wednesday described his actions more innocently and the Roll Call report `` silly . '' `` After being delayed on the Senate floor ensuring a vote on my anti-pay raise amendment and in a rush to make my flight home for town hall meetings the next day , I accidentally went through the wrong door at the gate , '' he said . `` I did have a conversation with an airline employee , but it was certainly not like this silly gossip column made it out to be . '' Vitter has been the subject of unwelcome headlines before . In 2007 , he was linked to a Washington , D.C. , prostitution ring . He denied allegations he had relationships with prostitutes , but apologized for `` a very serious sin . '' Joel DiGrado , Vitter 's spokesman , said the congressman would not comment further on the issue . CNN 's Mike Ahlers contributed to this report .", "question": "What is overblown ?", "answer": "the media account of the incident"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A day after New Jersey banned executions , newly released figures show that capital punishment dropped this year to a 13-year low . The Supreme Court will hold oral arguments January 7 about the constitutionality of lethal injection protocols . Forty-two people have been put to death this year , according to the Death Penalty Information Center -LRB- DPIC -RRB- , a Washington-based group that opposes the practice . That figure is down 57 percent from what it was in 1999 , when 98 inmates were executed . Next year 's figures are expected to drop further . The Supreme Court is to hold oral arguments January 7 about whether lethal injection protocols in 36 of the 37 states with the death penalty are constitutional . See how the rates have dropped '' The justices placed a moratorium on executions in late September , when they decided to review a Kentucky case about whether the three-drug lethal `` cocktail '' of chemicals represents `` cruel and unusual punishment , '' since it may cause excruciating pain to inmates unable to express discomfort . Stays of executions have been issued in several states until the larger constitutional issues are addressed . If the high court finds the procedures unconstitutional , it could take years before death-penalty states would meet legal standards necessary to resume lethal injection . And even if the method is declared acceptable , it would be months before new execution dates could be set . Ten states carried out executions this year . Outside the South , Arizona , South Dakota , Indiana , and Ohio together subjected six men to lethal injection . Learn about states ' death penalty policies and statistics '' Texas continues to lead the nation , with 62 percent of executions nationwide this year . Overall , 86 percent this year were in the South . No more executions are scheduled this year . `` The death penalty has been in a period of decline for many years , '' said Richard Dieter , executive director of DPIC . `` Two thousand seven will be known as the year executions came to a temporary halt and as the year of concrete legislation reconsidering the death penalty . '' Death penalty supporters acknowledge that states outside the South have been reluctant to impose the punishment , even in the face of rising big-city crime rates . `` I think the main problem is that the death penalty is not being imposed often enough in those urban jurisdictions , '' said Kent Scheidegger of the Sacramento-based Criminal Justice Legal Foundation . `` I think people of the cities are not getting the quality of justice that people elsewhere receive . I think we need to build support for the death penalty and need to impose it more regularly where it is warranted . '' New Jersey 's legislature voted last week to outlaw the death penalty -- the first state to do so in 42 years -- and Gov. Jon Corzine signed the measure into law Monday . At the same time , he commuted the sentences of the eight men on the state 's death row . The move was largely symbolic , since no executions have occurred there since 1963 . Similar bills in Nebraska , New Mexico and Montana failed this year in the legislature . State lawmakers in Maryland , Colorado , North Carolina , Tennessee and California are also considering abolishing the death penalty , but no bills have been introduced . The Supreme Court on January 4 will decide whether to review an appeal from Louisiana inmate Patrick Kennedy , sentenced to death in 2003 for raping his 8-year-old stepdaughter . The state 's high court upheld the punishment as appropriate . The justices in 1976 banned capital punishment for rape , but 19 years later , Louisiana passed a law allowing execution for the sexual violation of a child under 12 . State lawmakers distinguished the earlier high court case as pertaining only to `` adult women . '' E-mail to a friend", "question": "Who was put to death ?", "answer": "Forty-two people"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A U.S. government panel listed 13 countries Friday as `` egregious '' violators of religious freedom . Homeless Pakistani Christians protest last month in Islamabad for protection of Christian minorities . The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom 's annual report named Myanmar , North Korea , Eritrea , Iran , Iraq , Nigeria , Pakistan , China , Saudi Arabia , Sudan , Turkmenistan , Uzbekistan , and Vietnam . It recommended that the Obama administration designate them as `` countries of particular concern '' or CPC . The group has issued a watch list that includes Afghanistan , Belarus , Cuba , Egypt , Indonesia , Laos , Russia , Somalia , Tajikistan , Turkey , and Venezuela , countries that do n't rise to the level of a CPC but need to be monitored . `` Unfolding events in Pakistan make clear the relevance of this theme to the 2009 Annual Report . At the time of writing , emboldened Taliban-associated extremists had advanced to within 60 miles of the Pakistani capital of Islamabad , '' the report said . `` In the areas they already control , these groups are imposing draconian restrictions on human rights and religious freedom and engaging in brutal acts against individuals , particularly women and local police , who refused to accede to their repressive policies . '' The federal commission is bipartisan , and its commissioners are appointed by the president and members of Congress . A CPC designation gives Secretary of State Hillary Clinton `` a range of specific policy options to address serious violations of religious freedom . '' It requires the secretary `` to enter into direct consultations with a government to find ways to bring about improvements in the respect for religious freedom . '' The report covers the period May 2008 through April . The commission was created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 . `` While sanctions are a possible policy option , the secretary may decide to develop a binding agreement with the CPC government on specific actions that it will take to end the violations that gave rise to the designation or take a commensurate action , '' the commission said . `` The secretary may determine that pre-existing sanctions are adequate or waive the requirement of taking action in furtherance of the Act . ''", "question": "How many nations did the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom name ?", "answer": "13 countries"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Half a million homes remained without power across the Northeast and mid-Atlantic region on Sunday , as rain continued to pound states from West Virginia to Connecticut for a second day . The rain caused flooding and airport delays across the region , even as Saturday 's high winds -- reaching hurricane force in some areas -- waned dramatically on Sunday . `` High winds are over , but the rain and flood threat remain in Mid-Atlantic and Northeast , '' CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras said . `` There are major travel delays -- and more expected on Monday . '' Some coastal areas have received up to six inches of rain since Saturday , according to the National Weather Service . Flood warnings remained in effect in parts of the Eastern Seaboard into Sunday night , including much of New England . Flooding in West Virginia caused one death there , authorities said . Con Edison reported more than 100,000 customers without power in New York City and Westchester County on Sunday , while the Long Island Power Authority said that 150,000 of its customers were without electricity . `` The ground is so wet from all the snow we 've had this winter , it 's helping the trees to topple over , as well as our utility poles , '' said Long Island Power Authority president and CEO Kevin Law . `` The conditions are still too terrible to get crews out there . '' Law said that some customers will likely go without power until early in the week . Roughly 100,000 New Jersey customers saw their electricity restored Sunday , along with 30,000 PPL Electric Utilities customers in Pennsylvania . But tens of thousands of other homes in New Jersey and Connecticut were still without power on Sunday . iReport : Share photos , video of storm damage The outages were mostly due to power lines downed by Saturday 's winds , which toppled trees and utility polls . Wind speeds reached 75 miles per hour at New York 's JFK International Airport -- as strong as a Category 1 hurricane -- and 72 miles per hour in Atlantic City , New Jersey . New York-area airports reported delays of at least two hours on Sunday , while Boston 's Logan International Airport averaged 40 minute delays . In the Midwest , meanwhile , flooding continued on Sunday because of snow melt , rains and ice jams . Farther west , North Dakota 's Red River is expected to reach major flood stage around Fargo and Moorhead on Tuesday .", "question": "What continues to be a threat ?", "answer": "rain and flood"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama on Thursday called on business leaders from the private sector to generate ideas that will `` accelerate job creation '' and stimulate investment in the United States . `` While I believe that government has a critical role in creating the conditions for economic growth , ultimately , true economic recovery is only going to come from the private sector , '' Obama told attendees of the at the White House Forum on Jobs and Economic Growth . More than 100 CEOs , small-business owners , business leaders , mayors and academics attended . `` We do n't have enough public dollars to fill the hole of private dollars that was created as a consequence of the crisis . It is only when the private sector starts to reinvest again ; only when our businesses start hiring again and people start spending again and families start seeing improvement in their own lives again , that we 're going to have the kind of economy that we want , '' Obama said . The summit took place amid allegations from members of Obama 's own party that the White House and the Democratic congressional leadership are not doing enough to help the unemployed . Critics called the summit nothing more than a publicity stunt , and some are threatening to organize a march on Washington of jobless Americans if efforts to get more aid fail . `` Obviously , there 's something that 's not getting through to them , '' said Rep. Bobby Rush , D-Illinois . `` We 'll get the American people involved . You know , I can see a day , unless we get some real cooperation and real help , I can really see a day where there will be a jobless march on Washington . '' Rush and Reps. Marcy Kaptur , D-Ohio , and Candice Miller , R-Michigan , chair the new congressional Jobs Now Caucus , which is made up of 112 Democrats and 17 Republicans . Proposals being floated by members of the caucus include redirecting stimulus and TARP money to jobs programs and pressing for a new jobs bill , which they 're careful not to call a `` stimulus . '' The summit also fell on the eve of the release of the government 's November unemployment report . The nation is expected to have lost another 114,000 jobs , with unemployment remaining at 10.2 percent , the highest in 26 years , according to a survey by economists . Yet Obama projected a positive tone as he recounted some of the day 's discussions , on topics from clean energy and tax incentives to the export market , and the overlap among them . `` When we were in the infrastructure session , there was a strong emphasis on needing to plan not just for existing road projects , but also , how do we think about the fact that , in the future , we need a cleaner transportation industry ? '' he said . `` When we were in the clean energy session , there was an emphasis on how do we get small businesses and small contractors to get certified and get the financing needed to move forward and take advantage of these clean energy sector opportunities , '' he said . `` There 's a lot of overlap between all these different breakout sessions that we engaged in , '' he said . `` We 're going to have to figure out how to break out of these silos and integrate these strategies if we 're going to be able to get the most bang for the buck . '' Coinciding with the jobs forum , organized labor and religious leaders in several cities sponsored events featuring unemployed and underemployed people to raise the public profile of the issue . Events were held in Dayton , Ohio ; Columbus , Ohio ; and Sacramento , California , on Wednesday , and in Albuquerque , New Mexico ; Minneapolis , Minnesota ; and Toledo , Ohio , on Thursday . CNN 's Jessica Yellin and Kevin Bohn contributed to this report .", "question": "Who do forum attendees include ?", "answer": "More than 100 CEOs , small-business owners , business leaders , mayors and academics"}, {"story_text": "LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Profits at celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay 's British restaurants plunged by nearly 90 percent in the last 12 months . Gordon Ramsay has become as successful on television as he has been off-screen . Run by the Scottish-born chef and his father-in-law Chris Hutcheson , Gordon Ramsay Holdings reported a drop in annual turnover from # 41.6 million -LRB- $ 68 million -RRB- to # 35 million -LRB- $ 57 million -RRB- in the year to August 2008 , Britain 's Press Association reported Friday . Pre-tax profits plummeted by over # 3 million -LRB- $ 4.9 million -RRB- to # 383,325 -LRB- $ 627,000 -RRB- , while net debt in the group , which includes London restaurants such as Claridges , Maze and the flagship Royal Hospital Road , soared to almost # 9.5 million -LRB- $ 15.5 million -RRB- . With spiraling debts and crippling tax bills , the star of TV shows such as `` Ramsay 's Kitchen Nightmares '' and `` Hell 's Kitchen '' was forced to pump huge amounts of his own money into the business , even selling his prized Ferrari to raise funds , The Guardian newspaper said . Ramsay has attributed his business problems to over-ambitious expansion plans , in addition to the closure of two of his 11 London eateries . The Michelin-starred chef opened ten restaurants between 2007 and 2008 , while The Savoy Grill was forced to close as the Savoy hotel was refurbished , and the lease at the Connaught expired . The 42-year old was also forced to review his company 's international operations , closing restaurants in Paris , Los Angeles and Prague , The Times newspaper reported . `` Ambition overtook me . We thought we could do anything , that we could n't fail , '' PA quoted Ramsay as saying recently . A full review of the group 's operations was instigated in December as part of a refinancing deal with the Royal Bank of Scotland and to help the business get through the troubled economic times . `` 2008 brought its own challenges , not just for our group , but for the industry as a whole and the broader economy , '' Hutcheson told PA. . `` Whilst the restructuring has benefited the group , the significant contribution and commitment of all 750 staff to the business has been integral to moving us to a position of strength . '' Ramsay has endured a difficult time recently . Last month he was criticized by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd after reportedly comparing television star Tracy Grimshaw to a pig during a live cooking show in Melbourne . His trademark colorful language also came under fire last year by another Australian lawmaker . However Ramsay told the country 's Channel Nine Network , which broadcasts Kitchen Nightmares and Hell 's Kitchen , that the shows emphasize the `` pressures of working in a restaurant kitchen . ''", "question": "What is the turnover for Gordon Ramsay Holdings ?", "answer": "# 35 million"}, {"story_text": "Editor 's note : Ann Curley is the assignment manager for the CNN Medical News unit . She has been a type I diabetic for 40 years . This is her story of life with diabetes . Ann Curley uses a pump attached to a catheter in her body to monitor glucose levels and administer insulin . -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When I was 7 years old , my mom took me to the doctor because I had lost a lot of weight , despite a voracious appetite . My family had just moved from the San Francisco Bay Area to Pasadena , California , and this visit to the doctor 's office was my introduction to a man who would come to have a huge impact on my life . His name was Dr. Robert Deputy , and he was the pediatrician who diagnosed me with diabetes . He spoke to me directly , rather than to my mother , and he asked me questions : Did I feel thirsty ? Did I need to urinate during the night ? The answer to both questions was yes . He asked for a urine sample and the result was immediate . Dr. Deputy told me and my mother that my body was n't processing sugar properly . I had diabetes . That is how my 40-year journey with diabetes began . I was checked into a hospital to learn how to test my urine for sugar , give myself injections of insulin , follow a diabetic diet and control my diabetes . I spent several days in the hospital learning how to manage my disease , and then they sent me home . Dr. Deputy would call our house each afternoon to check on me and see how I was doing . Much to my parents ' chagrin -- and to my delight -- he wanted me to be self sufficient and responsible for monitoring myself . I refused to let my parents give me injections or test my urine . This demand for self sufficiency turned out to be one of my best life lessons , and not just for managing my diabetes . While some diabetics may feel their disease is a burden , I feel that being diagnosed with diabetes was a blessing in disguise . It forced our family to eat healthily , and it taught me about good nutrition -- something I practice every day . I know carbohydrate counts in most foods , and I understand dietary concepts that most people do n't even care about . Being active is also a way to burn off high blood sugar , so when my urine tested positive for glucose , my older sister Robin was in charge of exercising me . We had countless jump-rope contests , bike rides and roller-skating excursions , keeping me and my three sisters active and fit . And I felt like a little mad scientist , using a test tube with drops of water , urine and fizzy tablets to see if there was sugar in my urine . Fortunately , over time , technology improved . First , test strips were developed that could be dipped in urine to reveal whether sugar was present in it . But the truth is , testing urine for sugar was a primitive method . By the time sugar gets into the urine , it 's a signal that the body does n't have enough insulin to process sugar . And the urine test did n't give an actual number for the amount of sugar in the urine . It simply gave a color reading that corresponded with a range of how much sugar was present in the urine . Inaccurate was really an understatement when you talk about urine testing . Home blood glucose testing kits became available in the early 1980s , and they were a huge move toward precise control and management of diabetes . With the kit , the diabetic uses a device to poke a finger and produce a drop of blood . The blood is placed on a test strip that fits into a device that produces a reading of the blood glucose within seconds . While I initially balked at the idea of pricking my finger several times a day , now I ca n't imagine not doing it in order to monitor what my blood sugar is doing . The 1980s also saw the advent of the insulin pump . This device is the size of a pager and contains a reservoir filled with insulin . The reservoir connects to a tube that infuses the insulin into the body with a tiny plastic shunt . So rather than taking multiple injections to mimic the body 's insulin patterns , the pump drips insulin into the body to keep blood sugars constant , then gives extra amounts with meals . Another life-altering development in diabetes , which I have discovered in the last year , is the continuous glucose monitor , or CGM . This is a small device inserted into the tissue -- usually the abdomen , hip or leg -- and it has a tiny sensor that reads the glucose level of the body 's fluids . The data is transmitted to a receiver , and patients can see a constant reading of their blood sugar levels . I have participated in clinical trials for three different CGM devices , and I found them all to be quite accurate . Some sensors transmit data directly to an insulin pump , so you can use the reading to adjust and fine-tune the amount of insulin being pumped into the body . The patient still has to test his or her blood sugar to confirm the sensor is properly calibrated , but it 's amazing to be able to see constant readings and graphs of what your blood sugar is doing and better manage blood sugars . CGM technology is a step toward the ultimate goal of controlling type I diabetes using what 's called a `` closed loop system . '' This means diabetics someday will be able to wear a pump that gathers data from a sensor so precise that the pump can be programmed to act on its own and make adjustments all by itself . The current systems are `` open looped , '' meaning the diabetic controls when the doses are given . The goal is to eventually create a pump that is more like a robotic delivery system , and all the patient has to do is wear it . Once that technology is perfected , this type of device would be implanted , which would be the next best thing to not having diabetes . I mentioned to my sister Robin that I had tracked down Dr. Deputy for this article . She told me something I did n't know when I was 7 . Forty years ago , before the advent of all of the cool diabetes technology such as insulin pumps , continuous glucose monitors and blood sugar testing , parents were given a fairly grim prediction for how their child would fare . Dr. Deputy told my parents that I would probably only live to the age of 20 or 30 , which apparently -- but not surprisingly -- had the whole family freaked out . I spoke with Dr. Deputy , who recently retired from his pediatric practice , and he seemed to remember me . When I asked him about his dismal prognosis for my survival , he said sadly , `` At that time , that was what we told parents back then . ... Everything changes with time -- diabetes , leukemia -- technology has changed with the pump and the equipment . '' I think he was relieved that his prognosis was wrong . I know that I certainly am . In fact , I am hoping to live another 40 years ! E-mail to a friend", "question": "where he was diagnosed Ann Curley ?", "answer": "Pasadena , California"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Thousands of Americans learn a painful lesson in banking every day : Waiting for a check to clear and then getting access to the money from a bank does n't mean the check has really cleared . When Harry Smith , of New York , responded to an ad on Craigslist for an office assistant , a woman e-mailed him and said her British company was starting to sell its product in the United States , but was having trouble with dealing with checks from customers . Smith said the woman needed someone to collect the checks and then send the money to her company . It was a commission job -- deposit the checks , wait for the funds to become available at his bank , then send cash to her , minus 10 percent for Smith . After Smith checked out what seemed like a legitimate company on the Internet , he started receiving checks totaling several thousand dollars and deposited them in his account . When his bank released the funds , he sent cash to an address outside the country . But after a few weeks , Smith 's bank notified him the checks he had deposited had actually been returned , and that he owed the bank all the money he had withdrawn . Smith has not heard from his business partner since and does n't even know who she really is . He still owes his bank money , is unemployed and does n't know what action the bank might take against him . What happened to Smith is one example of a wide range of fake check scams carried out in the United States every year . A Consumer Federation of America survey estimates that 1.3 million Americans have been the victim of a fake check scam , with an average loss of $ 3,000 to $ 4,000 per consumer . The most common scams are fake sweepstakes or lotteries , phony government sponsored grants and fraudulent work-at-home opportunities , the survey says . The scams follow the pattern of the so-called Nigerian Internet scams , which often involve accepting transfers of money that become obviously phony when it 's too late . On Wednesday , the Consumer Federation launched a campaign to combat check scams . Many consumers do n't know they are responsible if they deposit a bad check , said Susan Grant , the federation 's director of consumer protection . Grant said its survey shows an alarming level of misinformation among consumers , and the problem includes money orders and cashier 's checks . Fifty-nine percent of respondents in the survey incorrectly thought that , when you deposit a check or money order , your bank confirms it is good before allowing you to withdraw the money . That number goes up to 70 percent among adults age 18 to 24 . More than 40 percent of those surveyed also incorrectly think that the person who gave you the bad check must pay back the bank . American consumers are mostly unfamiliar with the time needed to process checks and money orders , say consumer watchdogs . Government banking rules mandate that money from deposits become available within one to five days . However , it can take weeks , especially with foreign checks or money orders , for the originating institutions to get the checks or money orders back and determine that they are counterfeit . When that happens , scam victims are in for a rude surprise . Publishers Clearing House , which runs legitimate sweepstakes , warns consumers that scammers might claim that you are being given an advance on a prize , but that some fee , tax or other payment needs to be sent before you get the jackpot . That 's the heart of the scam , and it 's something that a real sweepstakes will never ask for , say legitimate companies . Consumer protection groups , state attorney generals , the Federal Trade Commission and government bank regulators warn consumers that the number of fake checks , money orders and even cashier 's checks being used to scam victims is increasing . The bottom line : `` There 's no legitimate reason why anyone who wants to give you a check or money order for something would ever ask you to send money anywhere in return . It 's as simple as that , '' said Grant of the Consumer Federation of America . Smith said he suspected that his part-time job was not on the up-and-up , but did n't know about fake check scams . He 's not sure how he will pay back his bank , but hopes his story will help keep other people from becoming victims . The Consumer Federation of America 's tips against fake check scams : -- Never agree to pay to claim a prize . -- Never agree to pay for grants from the government or foundations . -- Never agree to cash checks and send the money somewhere as part of a job working from home . -- Never agree to wire money to anyone you have not met in person and known for a long time . -- If it seems suspicious , consult your state or local consumer protection agency , the Federal Trade Commission , the U.S. Postal Inspection Service or another trusted source . -- Remember that there is no legitimate reason why anyone who wants to give you a check or money order would ask you to send money anywhere in return .", "question": "how long is needed to process checks ?", "answer": "one to five days"}, {"story_text": "CHATTANOOGA , Tennessee -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When meeting Jeff Donohoo , it 's not immediately apparent he is a 36-year-old man living with autism . In fact , unless you get him talking about the Atlanta Braves -- one of his true passions in life -- he is a very quiet person . Jeff Donohoo , 36 , at work in the kitchen at Memorial Hospital in Chattanooga , Tennessee . Early on , his younger brothers and sister did n't know , either . `` Since they grew up with him , they just knew Jeff was Jeff , '' said Nancy Donohoo , his mother . `` They did n't think of him as weird or anything . '' But when friends started to notice Donohoo was different , Nancy Donohoo was quick to explain to a group of 10-year-olds why . `` Jeff has a social problem , not a mental problem , '' she explained . `` He 's very smart . He reads encyclopedias ... he just does n't know how to talk to people . '' From then on , friends who visited the house always made an effort to interact with Donohoo , through a high-five or a simple `` hello . '' Today , it 's unlikely Donohoo will be the first to say hello in a group setting , but interacting with people is easier for him than it once was . See how Donohoo copes every day '' Questioned about his childhood , his most elaborate response is `` yeah '' or `` no . '' But when the topic is the Braves , it 's hard to get him to stop talking about the latest statistics or his favorite player , Mark Teixeira . Asked how long he 's been a Braves fan , there was little hesitation : `` All my life . '' He 's come a long way since he was a child . Then , just teaching Donohoo to talk was a challenge in itself , Nancy Donohoo said . `` There was no eye contact , so I would hold his face in front of me , and say the word I wanted him to say . '' Donohoo entered the first grade as a special education student . It was the first year special education was offered in his family 's hometown of Florence , Alabama . He carried on with special education until the sixth grade , when he was mainstreamed , or put in classes with children without disabilities . Explainer : Understanding autism '' For most of Donohoo 's childhood , his mother had suspicions about his condition . `` When he was little , I had watched a ` Marcus Welby ' show , and they had an autistic child on there . But he was very passive ; he sat in the corner and just hit things , '' Nancy Donohoo said . `` Jeff was wild . He was the opposite , so I just assumed he could n't be autistic . But he had a lot of those mannerisms . '' It was Donohoo 's freshman year of high school when Nancy and Bill Donohoo learned what was wrong with their son . `` There was a doctor in Huntsville that dealt a lot with hyperactive children , '' Nancy Donohoo said . `` He said , ` I 'm going to give you this sheet of paper ; these are all the symptoms of autism . ' '' The list had 19 symptoms , and Nancy Donohoo was instructed to circle the ones her son had . She circled 17 . The diagnosis did n't change how Nancy Donohoo dealt with her first-born son . In fact , the doctor said she already was doing all the right things , working to socialize Donohoo . Today , Donohoo , living with his parents , finds comfort in strict routine . He wakes each day at 5 a.m. to make himself breakfast and prepare for work . At 6 , Nancy Donohoo drives her son to Memorial Hospital , where he 's entering his 16th year of service with the cafeteria . Ollie Fort\u00e9 is Donohoo 's supervisor , and has worked with Donohoo almost since the beginning . `` He 's very valuable to us at this department . He 's dependable , on time , no attendance problems , '' said Fort\u00e9 . `` We love Jeff . '' After work , at 2:30 p.m. , Donohoo rides with his mother to the YMCA , where he works out for about three hours . Then it 's back home , where he fixes himself dinner and spends hours online looking up Braves statistics , or reading a number of baseball-related books from his personal library . This cycle repeats on days Donohoo works at the hospital . On his days off , the schedule is equally strict , with little variation . He 'll still go to the YMCA , and he 'll also make the occasional trip to the bookstore , adding to his collection of baseball-related literature . Sudden changes to daily plans are still a challenge . `` If he 's made his plans to do something tonight , '' said Bill Donohoo , `` and we come and say , ` We 're going to get something to eat . Do you want to go ? ' that upsets his plans for what he 's going to do that night . '' Physical contact is also difficult . `` He does n't like to be touched , '' Nancy Donohoo said . `` He does n't freak , but he does n't like it . He stiffens up . He 'll want to give you a hug , but he still has a hard time . '' The many challenges aside , Donohoo has a fine appreciation for things like cooking . In addition to preparing his own meals , he also enjoys baking . `` He loves desserts -- he loves sweets , '' Nancy Donohoo said with a laugh . `` He 's a little heavy , but we 're working on that . '' Nancy and Bill Donohoo have endured the challenges , and they acknowledge their son will never be fully independent . But one can tell they could n't be prouder of him . `` It 's rewarding today , because he 's come so far , but it was a long road , '' Nancy Donohoo said . E-mail to a friend", "question": "Where does Jeff live ?", "answer": "Chattanooga , Tennessee"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- One hundred twenty African refugees -- most of them fleeing war-torn Somalia -- were forced overboard at gunpoint off the coast of Yemen , leaving at least 26 dead and 20 missing , the United Nations ' refugee agency said Wednesday . A Somali refugee walks past the United Nations-donated tents at a refugee camp west of Aden . Seventy-four survivors made it to the beach Tuesday and were taken to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees center in Ahwar , Yemen , according to UNHCR . Some told the United Nations that they were waiting on their boat for a smaller vessel to take them ashore when the smugglers operating the boat forced them overboard . Some were pushed and beaten , and others were shot and killed , for not complying , they said . The smaller boat never arrived , they said . Heavy fighting in Somalia 's capital and a widespread drought has led to a dramatic increase in Somalis making the sometimes deadly journey by sea to Yemen , according to UNHCR . Nearly 26,000 refugees have arrived on Yemen 's shores this year from the Horn of Africa -- almost three times the number of refugees to make the perilous journey across the Gulf of Aden last year , according to UNHCR . Yemen is a common destination for Somalis fleeing economic hardship and war because of its proximity . It is also an attractive location because Somalis receive automatic refugee status in the fellow Muslim country . New smuggling routes , including some based out of Djibouti -- which lies north of Somalia and is much closer to Yemen -- have also led to the increase in refugees , according to the UNHCR . Refugees pay as much as $ 150 to get to Yemen on small fastboats , while others pay between $ 50 and $ 70 for a ride on larger and much slower vessels , the agency said . Earlier this year , Yemen 's coast guard stepped up patrols of its coastline in an attempt to deter the smugglers . Some of the smuggling boats are seized by Yemen 's coast guard and given to Somali fishermen who suffered losses in the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami . As part of a $ 19 million operation , UNHCR operates shelters and reception centers for the refugees in Yemen and has increased its efforts to discourage people from making the illegal crossing to Yemen . It has also sponsored training programs for coast guard personnel and other officials .", "question": "How many refugees arrived in Yemen from Horn of Africa this year ?", "answer": "Nearly 26,000"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A street vendor in Ghana 's capital sells small American flags with an image of President Obama on them , in front of a billboard that proclaims `` Akwaaba '' -- or `` Welcome '' -- next to a smiling image of the U.S. leader . President Obama says he chose Ghana partly because of the `` democratic commitments '' by President Mills . When Obama arrives in Accra on Friday night , he will be the third sitting American president to visit the West African nation of Ghana . But unlike Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush , Obama is only visiting Ghana and no other country in the continent . Obama said he picked Ghana as the first African country he would visit as U.S. president partly because of the `` democratic commitments '' demonstrated by President John Atta Mills , who took office in January after a close election . `` By traveling to Ghana , we hope to highlight the effective governance that they have in place , '' Obama said Tuesday in an interview with AllAfrica.com . During his 24-hour visit to Ghana , Obama will meet with the president and address parliament before he and first lady Michelle Obama tour the Cape Coast Castle , which was used in the trans-Atlantic slave trade . Security has been tight all week in Accra , and Ghana plans to deploy some 10,000 security forces during Obama 's visit , according to Ghana News Agency -LRB- GNA -RRB- . The White House has set up SMS codes to allow people across Africa to send `` words of welcome '' via text message to Obama during his visit . Obama has already received thousands of messages , and plans to answer several of the questions sent to him , the British Broadcasting Corporation reported on Thursday . Bill Clinton was the first U.S. president to visit Ghana , in 1998 , as part of a six-nation Africa tour . Obama 's predecessor , George W. Bush , stopped there during a four-nation Africa tour during his last year of office that largely focused on U.S. aid programs . Ghana 's government named a road after Bush to recognize his government 's contribution towards the country 's development . As the United States ' first African-American president , Obama 's trip has broader significance as well . Obama 's father is from Kenya and he expressed concern about the political situation in that East African nation . `` The political parties -LSB- in Kenya -RSB- do not seem to be moving into a permanent reconciliation that would allow the country to move forward , '' Obama told AllAfrica.com . `` And Kenya is not alone in some of the problems that we 've seen of late , post-election or pre-election . '' Many in Kenya were critical of Obama 's decision to pick Ghana the first African nation he visited instead of his father 's birthplace . During his campaign for president , Obama was hailed by many as a `` son of Kenya . '' Shortly after the White House announced the Ghana trip in May , newspaper headlines in Nairobi asked , `` Why Obama Snubbed Kenya . '' A political cartoon in one Kenyan paper showed Air Force One dropping a note to Kenya 's leaders saying , `` Get your act together , '' as it flew over the country . Obama said he wanted his visit to Africa to mean more than just something to cross off his list as U.S. president . `` I actually thought that it made sense for us to connect a trip to Ghana to a previous trip with the G8 ... to show that Africa is directly connected to our entire foreign policy approach , '' Obama told AllAfrica.com . `` That it 's not some isolated thing where once every term you go visit Africa for a while to check that box , but rather it 's an ongoing part of a broader discussion about how we move many of these international challenges forward . '' As Ghana gears up for the visit , a group of local singers and rap artists wrote a welcome song for Obama and produced a music video on YouTube . `` President Obama , Welcome to Ghana , '' they sing , with images of U.S. and Ghanaian flags interspersed between the musicians . `` We welcome you to the Land of Gold . ''", "question": "What did Obama say about Ghana party ?", "answer": "he chose Ghana partly because of the `` democratic commitments"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The wife of missing adventurer Steve Fossett has asked a court to declare him dead . Steve Fossett and wife Peggy in a February 2006 photograph . Fossett was last seen in early September , flying a single-engine plane on a pleasure flight from a Nevada ranch . A month-long search for the plane was unsuccessful . `` As difficult as it is for me to reach this conclusion , I no longer hold out any hope that Steve has survived , '' wrote Peggy V. Fossett in court documents filed Monday with the Cook County -LSB- Illinois -RSB- Circuit Court . She asked that the will of her husband of 38 years be admitted to probate . At about 8:45 a.m. on September 3 , the millionaire took off on what he said was to be a solo pleasure flight over the Sierra Nevada mountain range . He had planned to fly over the Nevada desert for two to three hours , and was expecting to return for lunch to the Nevada ranch , from which he departed . He was carrying a single bottle of water and had no parachute , lawyers for Mrs. Fossett said in the court documents . At 3 p.m. , when he had not returned , a search began that ultimately included thousands of volunteers . It continued until October 2 . `` No one involved in the search holds out any hope that Fossett is still alive , '' the petition said . Rick Rains , a sheriff 's supervisor of the San Diego County Sheriff 's Department , said Fossett 's plane was last spotted at 11 a.m. less than 20 miles from the ranch 's airport . `` Given the timeline and the sighting of Fossett 's plane , I believe he was within 20 to 25 miles of the ranch when he crashed , '' Rains said . But , he noted , `` the terrain is very difficult to search , with many areas where the crevices , deep ravines and closely grown trees make it impossible to see from the air what is on the ground . '' `` If Fossett was physically able to find water to survive on in the Nevada desert , he would have been physically capable of signaling searchers , by doing something as simple as crafting a large X of sticks or rocks , or by starting a signal fire , '' Rains said . In affidavits supporting his wife 's petition , Fossett 's doctor described the 63-year-old man as physically and mentally fit . Robert Keilholtz , a captain in the California Civil Air Patrol who was involved in the search , noted that the difficulty in finding wreckage was underscored by the fact that World War II-era plane wreckage was discovered last spring in the mountain range . In the search for Fossett , wreckage from eight other crashes was discovered , one of them from the 1960s , the lawyers said . Fossett made his money in the financial services industry , but is renowned for his daredevil exploits , which include nonstop , round-the-world trips aboard a balloon , a fixed-wing plane and a boat . At the time of his disappearance , Fossett was working on a project to build a single-man submarine and to build a vehicle capable of breaking land speed records by traveling at up to 800 mph , lawyers for his wife said . E-mail to a friend", "question": "When did Stephen Fossett go missing ?", "answer": "early September"}, {"story_text": "Editor 's note : Ann Curley is the assignment manager for the CNN Medical News unit . She has been a type I diabetic for 40 years . This is her story of life with diabetes . Ann Curley uses a pump attached to a catheter in her body to monitor glucose levels and administer insulin . -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When I was 7 years old , my mom took me to the doctor because I had lost a lot of weight , despite a voracious appetite . My family had just moved from the San Francisco Bay Area to Pasadena , California , and this visit to the doctor 's office was my introduction to a man who would come to have a huge impact on my life . His name was Dr. Robert Deputy , and he was the pediatrician who diagnosed me with diabetes . He spoke to me directly , rather than to my mother , and he asked me questions : Did I feel thirsty ? Did I need to urinate during the night ? The answer to both questions was yes . He asked for a urine sample and the result was immediate . Dr. Deputy told me and my mother that my body was n't processing sugar properly . I had diabetes . That is how my 40-year journey with diabetes began . I was checked into a hospital to learn how to test my urine for sugar , give myself injections of insulin , follow a diabetic diet and control my diabetes . I spent several days in the hospital learning how to manage my disease , and then they sent me home . Dr. Deputy would call our house each afternoon to check on me and see how I was doing . Much to my parents ' chagrin -- and to my delight -- he wanted me to be self sufficient and responsible for monitoring myself . I refused to let my parents give me injections or test my urine . This demand for self sufficiency turned out to be one of my best life lessons , and not just for managing my diabetes . While some diabetics may feel their disease is a burden , I feel that being diagnosed with diabetes was a blessing in disguise . It forced our family to eat healthily , and it taught me about good nutrition -- something I practice every day . I know carbohydrate counts in most foods , and I understand dietary concepts that most people do n't even care about . Being active is also a way to burn off high blood sugar , so when my urine tested positive for glucose , my older sister Robin was in charge of exercising me . We had countless jump-rope contests , bike rides and roller-skating excursions , keeping me and my three sisters active and fit . And I felt like a little mad scientist , using a test tube with drops of water , urine and fizzy tablets to see if there was sugar in my urine . Fortunately , over time , technology improved . First , test strips were developed that could be dipped in urine to reveal whether sugar was present in it . But the truth is , testing urine for sugar was a primitive method . By the time sugar gets into the urine , it 's a signal that the body does n't have enough insulin to process sugar . And the urine test did n't give an actual number for the amount of sugar in the urine . It simply gave a color reading that corresponded with a range of how much sugar was present in the urine . Inaccurate was really an understatement when you talk about urine testing . Home blood glucose testing kits became available in the early 1980s , and they were a huge move toward precise control and management of diabetes . With the kit , the diabetic uses a device to poke a finger and produce a drop of blood . The blood is placed on a test strip that fits into a device that produces a reading of the blood glucose within seconds . While I initially balked at the idea of pricking my finger several times a day , now I ca n't imagine not doing it in order to monitor what my blood sugar is doing . The 1980s also saw the advent of the insulin pump . This device is the size of a pager and contains a reservoir filled with insulin . The reservoir connects to a tube that infuses the insulin into the body with a tiny plastic shunt . So rather than taking multiple injections to mimic the body 's insulin patterns , the pump drips insulin into the body to keep blood sugars constant , then gives extra amounts with meals . Another life-altering development in diabetes , which I have discovered in the last year , is the continuous glucose monitor , or CGM . This is a small device inserted into the tissue -- usually the abdomen , hip or leg -- and it has a tiny sensor that reads the glucose level of the body 's fluids . The data is transmitted to a receiver , and patients can see a constant reading of their blood sugar levels . I have participated in clinical trials for three different CGM devices , and I found them all to be quite accurate . Some sensors transmit data directly to an insulin pump , so you can use the reading to adjust and fine-tune the amount of insulin being pumped into the body . The patient still has to test his or her blood sugar to confirm the sensor is properly calibrated , but it 's amazing to be able to see constant readings and graphs of what your blood sugar is doing and better manage blood sugars . CGM technology is a step toward the ultimate goal of controlling type I diabetes using what 's called a `` closed loop system . '' This means diabetics someday will be able to wear a pump that gathers data from a sensor so precise that the pump can be programmed to act on its own and make adjustments all by itself . The current systems are `` open looped , '' meaning the diabetic controls when the doses are given . The goal is to eventually create a pump that is more like a robotic delivery system , and all the patient has to do is wear it . Once that technology is perfected , this type of device would be implanted , which would be the next best thing to not having diabetes . I mentioned to my sister Robin that I had tracked down Dr. Deputy for this article . She told me something I did n't know when I was 7 . Forty years ago , before the advent of all of the cool diabetes technology such as insulin pumps , continuous glucose monitors and blood sugar testing , parents were given a fairly grim prediction for how their child would fare . Dr. Deputy told my parents that I would probably only live to the age of 20 or 30 , which apparently -- but not surprisingly -- had the whole family freaked out . I spoke with Dr. Deputy , who recently retired from his pediatric practice , and he seemed to remember me . When I asked him about his dismal prognosis for my survival , he said sadly , `` At that time , that was what we told parents back then . ... Everything changes with time -- diabetes , leukemia -- technology has changed with the pump and the equipment . '' I think he was relieved that his prognosis was wrong . I know that I certainly am . In fact , I am hoping to live another 40 years ! E-mail to a friend", "question": "Where does Ann Curley work ?", "answer": "CNN Medical News unit"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama visits Mexico with many issues on the table , but reinstating the ban on assault weapons in the U.S. is n't likely to be one on which the two countries can reach agreement . Mexican federal police officers this week display an arsenal seized near the U.S. border . Mexican officials say criminals use assault weapons from the U.S. in the violent border region . Mexican President Felipe Calderon and Arturo Sarukhan , Mexico 's ambassador to the U.S. , say reinstating the ban would stop the deadly flow of weapons across the border . Under the Clinton administration in 1994 , Congress banned possession of 19 military-style assault weapons . The ban was allowed to expire 10 years later during the Bush administration . Earlier this year , U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said that Obama would like to reinstitute the ban on the sale of assault weapons , noting , `` I think that will have a positive impact in Mexico at a minimum . '' Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said last month that as a senator , she supported a measure to reinstate it . And the urban policy section of the White House Web site says Obama and Vice President Joe Biden `` support making the expired federal Assault Weapons Ban permanent . '' Obama still supports reinstating the ban , as he did during the presidential campaign , but there are no plans to reintroduce it anytime soon , according to an administration official . Obama thinks more can be done to stop the illegal flow of weapons to Mexico within existing laws , the official said , noting that the president has taken steps to deploy more law enforcement to curb the illegal flows of drugs , weapons and cash in both directions across the border . The administration is unaware of any broad-based efforts in Congress to reinstate the ban , the official said . Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told CBS on Thursday that reinstating the ban `` simply is not part of the plan that we 're talking about here . '' Watch what Napolitano says about drug violence '' The Obama administration says the U.S. shares responsibility for the situation in Mexico , but as far as the ban goes , `` there 's a lot on our plate , '' White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said . Watch what 's on the table for Obama 's trip to Mexico '' Gun rights advocates stress that the Second Amendment guarantees the right to own firearms without restriction . Gun control supporters interpret the amendment to mean that states shall keep militias but that an individual 's right to own firearms may be restricted . Those who support the assault weapons ban as a way to curb violence cite figures from the Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives that say American gun sellers supply the Mexican drug cartels with 95 percent to 100 percent of their guns . But others say that claim can not be substantiated -- and argue that less that 20 percent of weapons used in crimes in Mexico are traced to the U.S. Wayne LaPierre , executive vice president and chief executive officer of the National Rifle Association of America , says U.S. rights are not the cause of Mexico 's wrongs . In a commentary on CNN.com , LaPierre wrote that to believe U.S. freedoms are fueling the violence `` you have to believe these butchers and beheaders break every Mexican law they want except Mexican gun laws , which they honor -- while they break American gun laws . '' `` Everything Mexico 's murderous thugs are doing is already illegal . At issue is not the absence of law , but the absence of political will to enforce the laws that both nations already possess , '' he wrote . On the other side , however , there are those who say loopholes in America 's gun laws fuel violence in both Mexico and the United States . `` We need to realize that the Mexican drug cartels are arming themselves here because our gun laws have loopholes so large that criminals and gun traffickers can easily drive gun-laden trucks through them , '' former Maryland Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend , daughter of the late U.S. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy , wrote in a commentary for CNN.com . `` We need to prevent Mexican criminals and the traffickers who supply them from buying guns by changing our gun laws and strengthening U.S. law enforcement 's ability to crack down on corrupt gun dealers . '' On the eve of Obama 's arrival , Calderon told ABC he thought the weapons ban was `` very good legislation . '' `` During that period , we did n't suffer a lot , like we suffered in the four or five years , '' he said . And Sarukhan told CBS this weekend , `` There 's a direct correlation between the expiration of the assault weapons ban and our seizures of assault weapons . '' He said , `` We can not determine how Congress and the administration will move on this . What we will say is that this is one of the instruments by reinstating the ban that could have a profound impact on the number and the caliber of weapons going down to Mexico . '' Obama was to meet Thursday with Calderon in Mexico City ahead of his trip to Trinidad and Tobago for the Summit of the Americas . But Mexico is n't the only consideration when it comes to gun control . In the United States , gun control is a wedge issue -- and one that can carry serious political ramifications . Democrats tend to shy away from remarks that could be interpreted as anti-gun , especially in swing states and districts . -LRB- Remember the frenzy that ensued after then-candidate Obama said people in small towns get bitter and `` cling to guns or religion '' ? -RRB- Democrats are usually thought of as the party more likely to enforce ownership restrictions , while Republicans are associated with ownership rights . As a candidate , Obama promised , `` I 'm not going to take away your guns . '' Any other message would have been unpopular in the traditionally Republican states he won such as North Carolina and Virginia . Other Democrats , such as Sens. Mark Warner and Jim Webb of Virginia , also are getting elected with the help of NRA supporters . Even so , with a Democrat in the White House and a Democrat-controlled Congress , there 's been a surge in requests for background checks of potential gun buyers , according to the FBI , and some gun owners say they think restrictions are somewhere on Obama 's to-do list . Asked Thursday if it 's just too politically difficult now to reinstate the ban , Gibbs said , `` I think the president believes that we can have a greater outcome in the short term working to enforce the laws that are on our books . ''", "question": "when was the ban", "answer": "Under the Clinton administration in 1994"}, {"story_text": "BAGHDAD , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An audio message attributed to Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri , the highest ranking former member of Saddam Hussein 's regime still at large , salutes the `` People of Palestine '' and calls on them to fight back against Israel in Gaza . A 1999 file image of Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri , who served under Saddam Hussien 's regime and who is still at large . `` We say to the people of Gaza , give more resistance and we will be with you in the field , and know that our victory in kicking out the invaders is your victory as well , because the main assailant on the nation and on Palestine is the American imperialism , '' the recording said . `` A salute to the martyrs of the massacre , and our condolences to their families . '' Al-Douri 's recording follows reports of a similarly defiant message from al Qaeda 's deputy chief a day earlier . Ayman al-Zawahiri reportedly vowed revenge for Israel 's air and ground assault on Gaza and called Israel 's actions against Hamas militants `` a gift '' from U.S. President-elect Barack Obama . Israel is in the 12th day of a military operation against Hamas militants , who have been firing rockets from Gaza into southern Israel . Al-Douri 's 30-minute recorded message was broadcast Wednesday on al-Raei Iraqi satellite television over an old picture of al-Douri , wearing his Iraqi military uniform . CNN has not been able to independently verify the authenticity of the voice on the tape . This is not al-Douri 's first purported audio message . There have been at least four others over the past three years in addition to a statement attributed to him . Al-Douri , 66 , served as vice-chairman of Hussein 's Revolutionary Command Council . He remains at large nearly six years after the war in Iraq began . He has previously been reported killed and captured , although those reports later turned out to be erroneous . He was the King of Clubs -LRB- No. 6 -RRB- on the U.S. military 's card deck of most wanted regime officials . The U.S. military says he has helped finance the insurgency against U.S. troops in Iraq with Iraqi funds he transferred to Syria before Hussein 's government collapsed in April 2002 . But it says his influence has waned while he has been in hiding . U.S. officials say al-Douri played key roles in the chemical attack on the Kurdish town of Halabja in 1988 and in putting down Kurdish and Shiite revolts after the 1991 Persian Gulf War .", "question": "who did he finance ?", "answer": "Saddam Hussien 's"}, {"story_text": "LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Profits at celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay 's British restaurants plunged by nearly 90 percent in the last 12 months . Gordon Ramsay has become as successful on television as he has been off-screen . Run by the Scottish-born chef and his father-in-law Chris Hutcheson , Gordon Ramsay Holdings reported a drop in annual turnover from # 41.6 million -LRB- $ 68 million -RRB- to # 35 million -LRB- $ 57 million -RRB- in the year to August 2008 , Britain 's Press Association reported Friday . Pre-tax profits plummeted by over # 3 million -LRB- $ 4.9 million -RRB- to # 383,325 -LRB- $ 627,000 -RRB- , while net debt in the group , which includes London restaurants such as Claridges , Maze and the flagship Royal Hospital Road , soared to almost # 9.5 million -LRB- $ 15.5 million -RRB- . With spiraling debts and crippling tax bills , the star of TV shows such as `` Ramsay 's Kitchen Nightmares '' and `` Hell 's Kitchen '' was forced to pump huge amounts of his own money into the business , even selling his prized Ferrari to raise funds , The Guardian newspaper said . Ramsay has attributed his business problems to over-ambitious expansion plans , in addition to the closure of two of his 11 London eateries . The Michelin-starred chef opened ten restaurants between 2007 and 2008 , while The Savoy Grill was forced to close as the Savoy hotel was refurbished , and the lease at the Connaught expired . The 42-year old was also forced to review his company 's international operations , closing restaurants in Paris , Los Angeles and Prague , The Times newspaper reported . `` Ambition overtook me . We thought we could do anything , that we could n't fail , '' PA quoted Ramsay as saying recently . A full review of the group 's operations was instigated in December as part of a refinancing deal with the Royal Bank of Scotland and to help the business get through the troubled economic times . `` 2008 brought its own challenges , not just for our group , but for the industry as a whole and the broader economy , '' Hutcheson told PA. . `` Whilst the restructuring has benefited the group , the significant contribution and commitment of all 750 staff to the business has been integral to moving us to a position of strength . '' Ramsay has endured a difficult time recently . Last month he was criticized by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd after reportedly comparing television star Tracy Grimshaw to a pig during a live cooking show in Melbourne . His trademark colorful language also came under fire last year by another Australian lawmaker . However Ramsay told the country 's Channel Nine Network , which broadcasts Kitchen Nightmares and Hell 's Kitchen , that the shows emphasize the `` pressures of working in a restaurant kitchen . ''", "question": "What were Ramsay 's pre-tax profit ?", "answer": "# 383,325 -LRB- $ 627,000"}, {"story_text": "London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- British pensioner Ethel Kendall was `` only 72 '' when she left the United Kingdom in 1986 to be closer to her family in Canada . At the time , she was receiving the full British pension of just over # 38 -LRB- $ 58 -RRB- a week . Twenty-four years later , she is still receiving the same amount , and after a European Court of Human Rights ruling Tuesday she is not likely to receive any more . `` You know this is n't about me , '' the 96-year-old told CNN on the phone from her home in Canada . `` It 's about the British government 's deception and dishonesty . Our contributions were deducted from source with the clear understanding that we would get a full pension on retirement , but somewhere along the lines they changed the rule . In my book , in our book , they 're guilty of both fraud and deception . '' Kendall is one of more than half a million British expatriates living in countries including Canada , South Africa , Australia and New Zealand , whose pensions are not linked to inflation . On Tuesday , the European Court of Human Rights ruled by a majority of 11 to six that the British government had not breached their human rights by failing to `` up-rate '' their pensions to bring them into line with the cost of living . Under British rules , pensioners in a number of countries who do not have reciprocal agreements with the UK receive the same pension they were entitled to in the year they left Britain . People who emigrated before retirement age receive the amount they would have received at retirement age in the UK . In Britain , men qualify for a pension at 65 , women at 60 . A British expatriate who retires to Australia , for example , receives less money each week than if they had contributed the same amount during their working life and then emigrated to Barbados , Croatia , the Philippines , the United States , or one of more than 40 countries which do have reciprocal UK agreements . Margaret Oxley moved to South Africa at the age of 23 after World War II . Now in her 80s , she receives a UK pension of just # 2 -LRB- $ 3 -RRB- a week . `` The exchange rate is ten to one . Then the bank takes charges you see . No , you ca n't survive . A loaf of bread is ten rand . I get around 20 rand a week . So it 's really not worth bothering about , '' she said . Aging expatriates who have seen their pensions dwindle due to inflation and the falling value of the pound have been campaigning for change . The first court case was brought against the UK government in 2002 by Annette Carson , a British resident who moved to South Africa in 1989 . According to court documents , she receives a basic state pension of # 67.50 -LRB- $ 103 -RRB- -- # 14.55 -LRB- $ 22 -RRB- less than she would have received if her pension was index-linked . After failing to make her case in the British High Court , she took her claim to the British Court of Appeal and then the House of Lords . Many saw this week 's ruling in the European Court of Human Rights as the last legal avenue for recourse , but they are reluctant to give up the fight . `` I do n't think we 're going to make it the end of the road , '' said John Markham , director of UK parliamentary affairs for the International Consortium of British Pensioners . `` Certainly I think we 're going to mobilize public opinion with the new parliament , '' he added , referring to the upcoming British election expected on May 6 . The Vice President of the British Australian Pensioners Association , James Nelson said : `` Now it is up to the people still working or living in Britain to tell their government that they will no longer stand for this injustice . By paying increases in some countries and withholding them in others , the UK government severely limits our freedom of choice regarding where we can retire . '' It is estimated that around 250,000 British pensioners living in Australia are affected by the British policy . `` This is a devastating result and it will affect the lives of many British expat pensioners . The living standards of many will only continue to decline , '' said Jim Tilley , Chairman of British Pensions in Australia , who says one elderly woman there receives less than # 7 -LRB- $ 10 -RRB- a week after moving to the country in 1974 . In a short statement , the British Department for Work and Pensions said it had noted that the court found in favor of the government . `` We do not therefore plan to make any changes to the current arrangements , which allow for the exportability and up rating of UK State Pensions . '' Ethel Kendall is still angry . Not only for herself , she says , but for the pensioners in Britain who may now be reluctant to leave . `` There are many very lonely people we know in the UK who would give anything to come to Canada to join their families but they do n't take that risk , '' she said . A former nurse , Kendall worked part-time during and after World War II to ensure she could continue to support her three sons should anything happen to her husband . He was injured but lived for another 26 years after the war ended . A few years after his death , Kendall remarried . Only after losing her second husband in the mid-1980s did she move to join her family in Canada . She sold her home when prices were low but she says it did n't take long before her capital was eroded and she was relying on her UK pension for basic needs . `` It finished up with my family , not exactly subsidizing me with money , but buying big things for me , '' she said . `` I 'm 96 now . I 've been fortunate ; Canada has been good to me . I 've been in subsidized housing for 20 years but it should n't be that way . '' If her pension was indexed Kendall would be receiving # 82 -LRB- $ 125 -RRB- a week , more than twice as much as she does now . `` We 'd be lucky the way things are going now if we get a dollar for a pound . So , # 82 would be a darn sight better . ''", "question": "What amount is she receiving for pension ?", "answer": "# 38 -LRB- $ 58 -RRB- a week"}, {"story_text": "BUENOS AIRES , Argentina -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When Susana Trimarco 's daughter Marita Veron was 23 , she vanished from their hometown in Argentina , a suspected victim of a human trafficking and prostitution ring with links throughout Latin America and Europe . Marita Veron , who is missing , hugs her daughter Micaela . Police believe Marita was forced into sexual slavery . Trimarco , 54 , has spent the past 6 1/2 years searching for her daughter , often putting herself at risk . While chasing down leads on Marita 's whereabouts , she 's entered dark and dangerous brothels and confronted pimps and politicians who , she says , are complicit in her daughter 's disappearance . She has won accolades throughout Latin America , Europe and the United States for her work . But Marita is nowhere to be found . `` Marita is a wonderful and caring girl . My life will be completely absorbed with this fight until she is back and safe , '' Trimarco said . On April 3 , 2002 , Veron left her house in the northern Argentine province of Tucuman early for a doctor 's appointment . She was wearing a turquoise shirt , blue jeans and old white sneakers . As she left the house , she told her mother , `` Do n't worry . I 'll be back soon . '' Those were the last words the two exchanged . The investigation that has followed has led police and Trimarco to believe that she was kidnapped and forced into prostitution , either in rural Argentina or Spain . So far , a series of random clues has failed to provide any concrete information on Marita 's whereabouts . Now , art is imitating life on Argentina 's airwaves . Trimarco 's story has become the basis of one of Argentina 's most popular nighttime soap operas , `` Vidas Robadas , '' or `` Stolen Lives . '' Watch art imitate activism '' The program premiered in March on Telefe , one of Argentina 's largest television networks , to a lukewarm response . But as the storyline and characters evolved and word started to spread , the audience grew , and it became water-cooler television . `` Stolen Lives '' attracts more than 2 million viewers nightly , a considerable feat considering Argentina 's population is only 40 million . The show 's plot centers on widowed anthropologist Bautista Amaya -LRB- played by Facundo Arana -RRB- and Rosario Soler -LRB- Soledad Silveyra -RRB- -- the mother of a young kidnapped girl , based on Trimarco -- who team up to unravel an underground prostitution ring . `` With every performance , I try to display the inner feelings of this woman who is suffering , to transmit her grief , '' Silveyra said . `` As an actress , I feel an enormous responsibility . '' The usual telenovela themes of love , passion and revenge are ever present in `` Stolen Lives , '' but the show strives to expose an issue that has remained in the dark in Argentina until recently . Human rights groups in Argentina estimate that 800 women have gone missing at the hands of human traffickers since 2007 . Worldwide , about 800,000 people are trafficked across borders annually , according to the U.S. State Department . `` I am delighted that the show has been able to bring this topic to light , because no one ever talked about human trafficking in Argentina before , '' Trimarco said . `` Stolen Lives '' is the latest in a series of recent Argentine telenovelas that dissect important social issues while also aiming to entertain . One of the most important was the 2006 hit `` Montecristo , '' which examined crimes against humanity committed by Argentina 's military during the 1970s and 1980s . Local versions of `` Montecristo '' are produced in nine countries around the globe , including Turkey , Portugal , Mexico and Russia . `` With these types of telenovelas , we are able to bring something entirely new to the public debate . And because we take a fictional and not a journalistic approach , we are able to attract and keep more viewers , '' Telefe programming director Claudio Villarruel said . `` Montecristo '' helped reunite children of Argentina 's Dirty War who `` disappeared '' with lost family members . The Dirty War happened from 1976-83 , when the government carried out a secret campaign to purge the country of those it considered to be dissidents . `` Stolen Lives '' is making a similarly strong impact . Trimarco established a foundation in her daughter 's honor , Fundacion Maria de los Angeles , last year in Tucuman . It counts U.S. Ambassador to Argentina Earl Wayne and Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner among its supporters . According to Trimarco , the foundation has rescued 360 women and children from trafficking networks , and leads on missing people continue to pour in . Argentina passed its first national law against human trafficking this year , a law that Trimarco lobbied hard to get passed . Meanwhile , praise rings from home and abroad . In May , `` Stolen Lives '' was declared a show of `` social interest '' by the Buenos Aires City legislature . In 2007 , Trimarco received the U.S. State Department 's `` International Women of Courage Award '' from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at a ceremony in Washington . Later this year , Trimarco will travel to Spain to speak about human trafficking with lawmakers from the European Union . `` It 's just like Condoleezza Rice told me : My screams are being heard all over the world , '' she said . Trimarco travels around Argentina constantly , educating people about human trafficking , and following up on clues about Marita . She is also raising Marita 's daughter , Micaela , 9 . With all the publicity surrounding the case and the success of `` Stolen Lives , '' Trimarco has herself become a target . Her accusations of political and police involvement have led to death threats , she says . Still , she remains committed to the cause and says that collaborating with the producers of `` Stolen Lives '' to tell her story has helped give her the strength to continue searching for her daughter . `` I 'm content , because my pain is now serving a purpose , '' she said .", "question": "When did the woman vanish ?", "answer": "April 3 , 2002"}, {"story_text": "London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The United Kingdom spent a second day suspended in uncertainty Saturday as leading politicians met to resolve a national election that failed to yield an outright winner . Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg , whose party came in third after Thursday 's voting , held meetings with fellow party members Saturday to discuss a possible deal with either of the two largest parties , Labour and the Conservatives . Clegg also met with Conservative leader David Cameron Saturday night , local media reported , while a broader meeting between Liberal Democrats and the Conservative Party is scheduled for Sunday morning , a Liberal Democrat spokeswoman told CNN . During a break in the talks with his own party , Clegg addressed hundreds of protesters in London who were demonstrating in favor of proportional representation , a system supported by the Liberal Democrats . Send iReport your stories , videos , photos The Lib Dems say the current electoral system is unfair and leaves them under-represented in Parliament . They say the number of seats they have in the House of Commons fails to reflect the number of votes they won across the country , and they believe each party 's allocation of seats should reflect the percentage of the national vote they get . For example , the Conservatives got 36 percent of the vote and 306 of the 650 seats in Parliament . Under proportional representation , they would have gotten 234 seats . The Lib Dems got 23 percent of the popular vote but won only 57 seats . Proportional representation would have given them about 150 seats . `` I never thought I 'd see Londoners protesting for proportional representation , '' Clegg said . `` Take it from me , reforming politics is one of the reasons I went into politics . I campaigned for a better , more open , more transparent new politics every single day of this general election campaign . `` I genuinely believe it is in the national interest , it is in the interest of everybody in Great Britain , to use this opportunity to usher in a new politics . '' Before he went into the meeting with members of his party Saturday morning , Clegg said `` politicians have a duty to speak to each other . '' `` People deserve a good , stable government , and that 's why I 'm very keen that the Liberal Democrats should enter into any discussions with other parties , as we 're doing , in a constructive spirit , '' he explained . What happens next for UK politics ? The Liberal Democrats planned to meet with the Conservative Party at 11 a.m. -LRB- 6 a.m. ET -RRB- Sunday , according to a Liberal Democrat spokeswoman . When asked , a spokeswoman for the Conservative Party declined to give a timeframe for a possible deal . Why UK politics needs to get used to horse trading British Prime Minister Gordon Brown , who leads the Labour Party , and the Conservatives ' Cameron both offered on Friday to form an alliance with the Liberal Democrats as they jostled for power after the election in which the Conservatives gained the most seats in the House of Commons . Clegg told reporters Saturday morning that he remained focused on four priorities as he discussed the idea of a deal with another party : tax reform , education reform , a `` new approach '' to the economy , and `` fundamental political reform . '' Full election coverage `` It 's precisely those four changes which will guide us in the talks ahead , '' Clegg said . In an e-mail to Conservative supporters on Saturday , Cameron made a case for the party to work with the Liberal Democrats . `` I ... believe there are many areas of common ground between us and the Liberal Democrats -- such as the need for education reform , building a low-carbon economy , reforming our political system , decentralizing power , protecting civil liberties and scrapping ID cards , '' Cameron wrote . It 's unclear how far Cameron will go on the Liberal Democrats ' main priority , electoral reform . But he said in his e-mail that he is willing to compromise on some issues . `` There are also areas where I believe we in the Conservative Party can give ground , '' he wrote , `` both in the national interest and in the interests of forging an open and trusting partnership . For example , we want to work with the Liberal Democrats to see how we can afford to reduce taxes on the lowest paid . '' Brown , who remains prime minister even though Labour lost its parliamentary majority , said Friday that he would be willing to negotiate with any party leader . What role does the queen play now ? Official returns Friday showed it would be impossible for any one party to get a majority of seats , resulting in what is known as a hung parliament . The Conservatives came in first , with at least 306 seats in the 650-seat parliament , followed by Labour with at least 258 . The Liberal Democrats came in third , with at least 57 . The Conservatives must forge some kind of deal with a smaller party in order to reach a voting majority in Parliament , and they are most likely to turn to the Liberal Democrats , analysts have said . Parties smaller than the Liberal Democrats hold too few seats in Parliament for them to be realistic choices for the Conservatives , analysts have said . It 's also easier for the Conservatives to seek a partnership with just one party rather than many , said Joe Twyman , director of political polling at YouGov . Such a partnership , however , does not necessarily have to take the form of a coalition , Twyman said . `` My personal opinion is that the most likely scenario is the Conservative Party forming a minority government and going into some sort of leg-by-leg association with the Liberal Democrats , '' Twyman told CNN on Saturday . `` The Conservatives hope that will give them the support they need to get across their economic policies , which are the most pressing . '' Anger at polling stations Though they are dubbed the kingmakers , because their support could be crucial to either of the two big parties , the Liberal Democrats also do n't have much room to play with , Twyman said . The last time Britain had a hung parliament was in February 1974 , when Edward Heath 's Conservatives gained more votes but fewer seats in Parliament than Labour . Unable to form a deal with the Liberal Party , the Conservatives stayed on in a minority government , but found themselves back at the polls by October . `` As the Lib Dems are reported to have significantly less financing than the other two parties , they would have the most to lose from another election being called very soon , because elections are an expensive business , '' Twyman said . CNN 's Melissa Gray , Richard Greene and Paul Armstrong in London contributed to this report .", "question": "What did the British election result in ?", "answer": "a hung parliament"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Federal safety officials want the Federal Aviation Administration to immediately ground a type of small sports aircraft , saying six of the planes have broken up in flight in the past three years , killing 10 people . The National Transportation Safety Board questions the safety of the Zodiac CH-601XL . In an urgent letter to the FAA , the head of the National Transportation Safety Board says there is `` substantial circumstantial evidence '' that aerodynamic `` flutter '' preceded some , if not all , of the fatal accidents , and that more accidents are likely to occur if action is n't taken . Flutter is a condition in which airflow around the plane causes unsafe structural vibrations . The vibrations can quickly cause the plane to break up if it is not sufficiently dampened , the safety board said . The aircraft involved is the Zodiac CH-601XL , a single-engine , two-seater that was designed by Zenair Inc. . It is built by various manufacturers and also sold as a kit . In making its recommendation , the safety board said it reviewed six fatal accidents , including crashes in Spain and the Netherlands , and said flutter is the likely cause of the accidents . The board said it also considered other incidents that did not result in deaths . The NTSB said two other countries , the Netherlands and the United Kingdom , have grounded the aircraft . The FAA had no immediate response to the safety board 's recommendation . A Zenair official did not immediately return a reporter 's phone call . But the NTSB letter says Zenair contends that the flutter problem can be addressed by proper cable tension , and asserted that a November 2005 certification flight test confirmed the plane is protected from flutter . But the safety board said the type of testing used may not be adequate to uncover all susceptibility to flutter . The NTSB said the FAA certified the CH-601XL as a Special Light Sport Aircraft in 2005 . This type of certification does not require that the FAA approve the airplane 's design . Instead , the airplane model is issued an airworthiness certificate if the manufacturer asserts that the plane meets industry-accepted design standards and has passed a series of ground and flight tests . The safety board is asking the FAA to prohibit further flight of the Zodiac CH-601XL until the board can determine that the airplane is no longer susceptible to aerodynamic flutter . `` The NTSB does not often recommend that all airplanes of a particular type be prohibited from further flight , '' NTSB Acting Chairman Mark V. Rosenker said in writing comments . `` In this case , we believe such action will save lives . `` Unless the safety issues with this particular Zodiac model are addressed , we are likely to see more accidents in which pilots and passengers are killed in airplanes that they believed were safe to fly . '' The safety board also found that the stick-force gradient -- a measure of the force applied to the control stick and the increase in lift that results -- was not uniform throughout the range of motion , particularly at high vertical accelerations or increased gravitational forces . The lessening of the gradient at high gravitational force could make the airplane susceptible to being inadvertently over-controlled by the pilot , which could create a condition in which the airplane is stressed beyond its design limits , leading to an in-flight structural failure . CNN 's Mike M. Ahlers contributed to this report .", "question": "What was the FAA 's response ?", "answer": "The FAA had no immediate response to the safety board 's recommendation"}, {"story_text": "LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- London police have arrested a man in connection with a brazen daylight robbery of a jewelry store last week , they announced Wednesday . Security camera footage shows images of the men wanted by police . The 50-year-old man was arrested on Monday , police revealed . Some $ 65 million in merchandise was stolen in the August 6 robbery . On Tuesday police released surveillance camera photos of two men sought for questioning over the heist as well as images of some of the rings , bracelets , necklaces and watches taken from Graff Jewellers on central London 's New Bond Street . A total of 43 items were taken , with a value of about # 40 million , or about $ 65 million , Scotland Yard said . The heist occurred August 6 , when two men walked into the jewelry store at about 4:40 p.m. and threatened employees with handguns . As the robbers were leaving the store , they brought a female worker outside with them before leaving in a blue BMW , Scotland Yard said . A shot was fired outside the store , but no one was injured . The men abandoned the BMW nearby , firing a second shot into the ground , Scotland Yard said . Police believe they switched to a silver Mercedes , then later to a black vehicle , possibly a Ford or Volkswagen . `` This was a well-planned robbery with a number of vehicles used to help the robbers escape , '' Detective Chief Inspector Pam Mace said in the statement . `` These men are extremely dangerous and fired at least two shots in busy London streets as they made their getaway . Watch how robbers rip off London jewelers '' `` Someone knows who these men are , '' she said . `` They would undoubtedly have spoken about -LRB- the robbery -RRB- before or boasted about it afterwards . I would urge anyone who recognizes them , knows the whereabouts of the jewelry or has any other information to contact us . '' The images show the two men dressed in suits and ties . One man is white , about 30 , police said . The second is a black man believed to be in his 30s with short hair . Both men are thought to have spoken with London accents , Scotland Yard said . The robbery is the latest in a spate of daytime thefts at jewelry stores and designer shops in London 's exclusive shopping areas of Bond Street , which includes New Bond Street . Groups of men or teenagers typically stage `` smash and grab '' robberies , in which they break the windows and steal anything they can get their hands on before speeding away in waiting cars or motorbikes . A CNN camera crew filming in March on Oxford Street , near Bond Street , caught a group of thieves speeding away on motorbikes from a jewelry store they had just robbed . The thieves choose to strike during the day when a store 's security system is typically disarmed , even though the store and sidewalk may be crowded with people .", "question": "what was robbed", "answer": "a jewelry store"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Key structural changes have been identified in the brain images of some patients with mild cognitive impairment which could help determine who 's at greatest risk for developing Alzheimer 's disease . Researchers at the University of California , San Diego , studied MRI scans of 84 patients with Alzheimer 's disease , 175 patients with mild cognitive impairment , or MCI , and 139 images of healthy brains . `` Our initial goal was to locate similarities in the patients with Alzheimer 's disease to those with MCI , in the hopes of finding a method to predict -LSB- MCI patients ' -RSB- likelihood of developing the disease , '' said lead study author Linda McEvoy , assistant project scientist at UCSD 's department of radiology . Neuroimaging results for the patients with Alzheimer 's disease were as expected , according to the study , which was published online in the journal Radiology . Atrophy , which is loss of brain tissue , was visible throughout the brain . The temporal and parietal lobes , which affect cognitive function , saw the most damage . What surprised researchers were the differences in images from the MCI patients . More than 50 percent of the brains in the MCI group showed atrophy similar to the Alzheimer 's disease patients . The other half of the MCI patients showed only small amounts of tissue damage . Watch Dr. Gupta explain the findings '' `` Although the symptoms for the entire MCI group were primarily memory problems , other parts of the brain were impacted in over half the group , '' McEvoy said . `` And even though these patients -LSB- with Alzheimer 's - like atrophy -RSB- do n't have problems with their cognitive function now , their MCI will likely develop to that in the future . '' Researchers also evaluated the brains of the MCI group one year after initial testing . They found that patients who earlier had mild cognitive impairment plus signs of atrophy were getting worse . Twenty-nine percent of the group had since been diagnosed with Alzheimer 's disease and the others had begun to show signs of more serious cognitive decline . The condition of patients in the MCI group whose scans showed minimal signs of atrophy the previous year remained about the same . `` Only 8 percent of this group had developed Alzheimer 's disease . The rest of the patients were stable and their symptoms had not increased , '' McEvoy said . Bill Thies , chief medical and scientific officer for the Alzheimer 's Association , underscored the significance of these findings . `` What this study really shows is how different people with MCI can be , despite having similar symptoms . We can now use this information to create new treatments , '' he said . There are several drugs on the market that treat the symptoms of Alzheimer 's disease , but none that prevent its progression . Clinical trials may be able to use this data to select a better pool of candidates when testing new drugs . `` If they use a MCI patient with loss of brain tissue , someone who we now know is progressing fast towards Alzheimer 's disease , we 'd be able to quickly figure out if drug ` X ' is slowing things down or not helping at all , '' Thies added . In addition , researchers hope that within the next few years patients could regularly be tested by their physicians to determine their risk of developing Alzheimer 's . `` If nothing else it would be good information for their family members to have early on , to be better prepared for the future . '' McEvoy said . Over 5 million Americans have Alzheimer 's disease and an estimated three and a half million have mild cognitive impairment .", "question": "Where have key structural changes been found in those with memory loss ?", "answer": "in the brain images of some patients"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- One of the largest Jewish cemeteries in the Los Angeles , California , area has been accused of desecrating the remains of those buried there , according to a lawsuit . The cemetery holds the remains of celebrities such as Groucho Marx and Lenny Bruce . The suit , filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court , alleges that employees at Eden Memorial Park , in Mission Hills , California , `` intentionally , willfully and secretly desecrated the remains of deceased individuals , '' often moving them to make room for new remains . Attorney Michael Avenatti , who filed the suit , told CNN that his investigation revealed that as many as 500 graves may have been torn up without the families ' permission . `` We allege that Eden Memorial Park and its management for the better part of 15 years were engaging in improper burial practices , including the desecration of graves and the improper disposal of human remains , '' he said . The lawsuit is filed by F. Charles Sands , whose parents are buried at Eden Memorial Park , against the cemetery and its owner , Service Corporation International , based in Houston , Texas . The company is the largest owner of cemeteries and funeral homes in the United States . Watch what the lawsuit says workers did to remains '' This is not the first time Service Corporation International has faced allegations of digging up graves and moving bodies to make room for new remains . It reached a $ 100 million settlement with families of people whose remains were desecrated at Menorah Gardens in Florida . The company also reached a $ 14 million settlement with the Florida state attorney 's office over issues related to those claims . A number of celebrities are buried at Eden Park , including comedians Groucho Marx and Lenny Bruce , according to several Web sites that track burials of celebrities . Anthony Lampe , the general manager of Eden Memorial Park , said he had not seen the lawsuit and referred inquiries to Service Corporation International . Company spokeswoman Lisa Marshall said the allegations in the lawsuit were not valid . She said SCI had investigated and confirmed burial issues at Eden Memorial Park in 2007 , but she could not provide specifics of that investigation . The lawsuit alleges groundskeepers were secretly instructed to break buried concrete interment vaults that contained caskets that were already buried , using backhoes . It also alleges human remains would often fall out of the broken caskets , and those body parts were either scattered or thrown away . In one case , Avenatti said , a human skull was discarded . `` We have uncovered evidence that the groundskeepers and others at Eden Memorial Park have been instructed to break off or break apart that concrete vault and , at many times , that exposes human remains , '' Avenatti said . Asked about the seriousness of the allegations , he said , `` If the allegations are proven true , this is incredibly horrific . '' The lawsuit said that under Jewish tradition , `` the deceased are typically required to be interred within 24 hours , thereby leaving little time to obtain consent to move an encroaching vault in an adjacent plot and giving defendants a motive to desecrate human remains and commit other immoral acts rather than comply with the law . ''", "question": "What does the lawsuit say ?", "answer": "that Eden Memorial Park and its management for the better part of 15 years were engaging in improper burial practices"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday insisted that his country 's nuclear arsenal is `` definitely safe , '' despite growing concerns about recent gains by the Taliban along the country 's border with Afghanistan . Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari insists his country 's nuclear arsenal is `` definitely safe '' from militants . In an interview with CNN 's Wolf Blitzer , Zardari responded to the fact that the United States does n't know the locations of all of Pakistan 's nuclear sites . He also addressed the Obama administrations concern over whether the weapons are vulnerable to Taliban fighters who are gaining control of some border regions . `` They ca n't take over , '' Zardari said , referring to militants . `` We have a 700,000 -LRB- person -RRB- army -- how could they take over ? '' For the last two weeks , Pakistani troops have been battling Taliban fighters in Buner and Lower Dir , two districts bordering the Swat Valley -- a broad Taliban stronghold in Pakistan . Army generals claim to have killed scores of militants . Pakistan 's government recently signed a deal that would allow Islamic law , or sharia , in the Swat Valley , in exchange for an end to fighting . Still , Pakistan 's military is continuing an assault on militants in Taliban-held areas after they seized territory in violation of the agreement signed by Zardari . Last week , U.S. President Barack Obama said Pakistan 's government appears to be `` very fragile '' and argued that the United States has `` huge national security interests in making sure that Pakistan is stable '' and does n't end up a `` nuclear-armed militant state . '' And , after making two visits to Pakistan in the last three weeks , Adm. Michael Mullen , chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff , indicated Monday that he is `` gravely concerned '' about recent Taliban and al Qaeda gains across much of southern Afghanistan and in Pakistan . Pakistan 's nuclear weapons are `` definitely safe , '' Zardari said Tuesday . `` First of all , they are in safe hands . There is a command and control system under the president of Pakistan . And Buner ... there has been fighting there before . There will be fighting there again and there will always be an issue of people in those mountains that we 've been taking on . '' Zardari 's comments came as the Obama administration prepared for meetings set for Wednesday with Zardari and Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai to discuss security in the region . A senior administration official told reporters that the U.S. objective of the meetings is `` an alliance with these countries against a shared threat . '' Watch Pakistan 's U.S. ambassador discuss the Taliban insurgency '' Zardari and Karzai will also be visiting key congressional leaders and policymakers in advance of meetings with Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton . A bill called the Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act of 2009 , introduced by Sens. John Kerry , D-Massachusetts , and Dick Lugar , R-Indiana , would authorize $ 7.5 billion in non-military aid to Pakistan over the next five years to foster economic growth and development , and another $ 7.5 billion for the following five years . Zardari , for his part , said he is grateful for the financial aid Pakistan has received from the United States , but said he needs `` more support . '' `` I need drones to be part of my arsenal . I need that facility . I need that equipment . I need that to be my police arrangement , '' he said . The U.S. military has carried out airstrikes against militant targets in Pakistan , after Zardari 's government was criticized for not cracking down on militants along the Afghan border . The unmanned drone attacks have rankled relations between Pakistan and Washington . Asked whether the U.S. strategy bothered him , Zardari said , `` Let 's agree to disagree . ... We 're still in dialogue . '' Zardari also denied speculation by some Congressional lawmakers that his country has used most of the $ 10 billion given by the United States to strengthen its arsenal against a threat from nuclear rival India -- as opposed to going after the ongoing militant threat . `` They 've given $ 10 billion in 10 years , a billion nearly a year for the war effort in -- against the Taliban , and the war that is going on , '' he said . Zardari also addressed his government 's apparent resistance to significant U.S. involvement on Pakistani soil . Recently , U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates observed , `` There has been a reluctance on their part up to now . They do n't like the idea of a significant American military footprint inside Pakistan . I understand that . And -- but we are willing to do pretty much whatever we can to help the Pakistanis in this situation . '' Zardari called Pakistan 's relationship `` pretty strong '' and said , `` We are asking . We 've been asking for a lot of help , and it has been in the pipeline for a long time . ''", "question": "Does the Pakistani President think the state 's nuclear arsenal is safe ?", "answer": "Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday insisted that his country 's nuclear arsenal is `` definitely safe"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- OPRAH.com -RRB- -- Families all over the country are tightening their belts during this economic crisis , but some people are actually finding that cutting back can lead to richer lives . The Heinz family makes a net income of $ 58,000 a year -- but they have $ 70,000 in savings . The Heinz family makes a net income of $ 58,000 a year -- but they have $ 70,000 in savings . How did they do it ? Sue Heinz is a stay-at-home mom with four children living in Sarasota , Florida . To keep their family out of financial worry , she and her husband , Brett , have gotten thrifty . With a prepaid cell phone used only for emergencies , the family 's monthly bill is just $ 5 . By brown bagging his lunch and carpooling to work , Brett spends little money during the work week and saves $ 122 each month on gas . Sue has found a way to snip $ 550 from their yearly budget by cutting the family 's hair herself . And with a little online research , Brett found out how to do his own home repairs and says he has saved more than $ 6,000 . Sue says their thriftiness began 11 years ago when she and Brett first moved to Florida on a teacher 's salary . `` We had goals , '' she says . `` We wanted to own a home , we wanted to have a big family -- and we knew we had to set our priorities to make that work . '' The ride has n't been all smooth sailing , and Sue says they incurred some credit card debt along the way . `` But I 'm very happy to say , and proud to say , that we 're paying it back at nearly three times the minimum balance , '' she says . Oprah.com : How to get out of credit card debt Although they 've had to cut back in certain areas , Sue says their thrifty ways have n't curbed their lifestyle one bit . `` We go to the beach once a week , we go bike riding with the kids , we do all kinds of fun things , '' she says . `` There are second-run movie theaters ; there are a lot of ways to have fun without spending money . '' `` It 's an alternative to living beyond our means , really , '' Brett says . `` Instead of spending too much money on things , we just make choices . '' Sandberg family On the other end of the spectrum , the Sandberg family is learning the need to cut back for the first time . Vicky and Mark have been married for 15 years and have two children . Until recently , the family has always brought in a double income . `` Times in the construction industry have been really tough , and four months ago I lost my job as a recruiter and as a trainer , '' Vicky says . With about 40 percent of their total income gone , the family has a new set of stress . Vicky and Mark say they 've had to cut back their investment contributions toward their children 's college funds and froze their individual retirement accounts . `` My personal biggest fear is losing what we have , what we 've worked so hard for , '' Mark says . Can thrifty couple Sue and Brett help Vicky and Mark find ways to cut back ? They begin with the Sandbergs ' monthly budget and discover the Sandbergs are spending $ 650 a month in department stores on things for the kids -- clothing , video games and DVDs . `` That 's a big number , '' Sue says . In addition , the Sandbergs are spending $ 190 each month on their phone , Internet and cable bill and $ 350 a month eating out at restaurants . All in all , the family is spending $ 8,744 a month , which is more than they are bringing in . To get Vicky and Mark on track , Sue says they need to bring their monthly budget down to less than $ 8,000 per month . Sue gives them a basket for storing their daily receipts and a journal to write down their needs and wants . `` You 're going to take a good look and start to become extremely aware of where this money is going , '' she says . First to go are all but one of Vicky and Mark 's credit cards -- for emergencies only -- in exchange for a debit card with a rewards program . `` I love the idea of having a debit card and paying as you go , '' Mark says . `` I think that would relieve a lot of stress at the end of the month . '' Because Vicky and Mark have two cell phones , Sue suggests dropping their landline and finds a cable company that offers a better deal . They instantly save more than $ 100 a month ! Sue takes the couple to the grocery store and teaches them how to prepare a meal for under $ 5 . There are even leftovers , which can be used for Mark 's lunches . Sue says the family can still enjoy eating out -- with the proper research . By searching online , Sue says you can find restaurants that let kids eat for free on certain nights of the week . `` Google your town 's name plus ` free stuff ' or ` kids ' free meals , ' and things pop up , '' she says . Sue also has a tip to save money on the DVDs the kids ask for -- go to the library and rent the DVD for free ! In all , Sue and Brett helped Vicky and Mark find an extra $ 2,000 a month . `` It felt great because we did n't know what we were spending , '' Vicky says . `` It 's really a mind-set . Mark and I have worked very hard to have what we have for our family and provide for them , but he 'd spend what he 'd spend , I would spend what I would spend and we 'd pay the bill at the end of the month , and we just were n't paying attention . '' Mark is also thrilled with the family 's new money habits . `` It was a lot less stress at the end of the month , '' he says . CouponMom.com With the cost of food rising and moms everywhere cringing over their grocery receipts , one mom has found a way to save her family thousands of dollars . Stephanie Nelson , founder of CouponMom.com , says she actually looks forward to grocery shopping ! Can she buy a week 's worth of food at half the price ? Stephanie begins her plan of attack by researching coupons online . `` It 's actually easier than ever to use grocery coupons today because we can use the Internet to print coupons , '' she says . `` In about half an hour a week , you can make a real difference in cutting your grocery bill in half . '' With coupons in hand , Stephanie hits the store and fills up her shopping cart with $ 127 worth of groceries . `` Do n't panic , '' she says . `` That 's not what we 're paying . '' As the clerk scans coupon after coupon , the total falls lower and lower -- until it hits $ 37.16 , a 71 percent savings ! Oprah.com : Five ways to save money on your groceries Selling your home It 's no secret that it 's a difficult time to sell a home -- so some sellers are getting creative . When Jennifer from Charleston , South Carolina , needed to sell her house , she says no one was biting . After five months and no offers in sight , Jennifer put her house on Craigslist . Two days later , it sold . Karen from Hancock , Maryland , was having trouble finding a buyer for her farmhouse , so instead of selling , she decided to raffle off her home . She sold tickets for $ 100 apiece and agreed that any extra money raised beyond the appraised value would go to charity . After selling more than 6,000 tickets , Karen was able to unload her house and give more than $ 200,000 to a local charity . If this sounds interesting to you , check the laws in your state . After two and a half years on the market , Mike and Pam from Streamwood , Illinois , needed an unconventional way to sell their home . They searched online to see if anyone wanted to swap houses and found OnlineHouseTrading.com -- did they make a match ? Oprah.com : More ways to save your dollars ! Mike and Pam found Lauren and Ryan , homeowners in Elgin , Illinois , who wanted to upgrade their home . It was the perfect match for Mike and Pam , who were looking to downsize . Mike and Pam sold their home for $ 295,000 and purchased Lauren and Ryan 's home for $ 180,000 . `` We were able to sell our house at the price we wanted , and they were able to sell their townhouse at the price they wanted , '' Pam says . `` We 're all happy , '' Ryan says . `` It was an even trade in the sense we both got exactly what we wanted . We were looking for a house with four bedrooms , a basement and a backyard that would be fenced in for our dogs , and we ended up getting that . '' If you 're interested in finding a creative way to sell your home , make sure to check out the laws in your state first . From `` The Oprah Winfrey Show '' `` The Thriftiest Family in America '' \u00a9 2008 Subscribe to O , The Oprah Magazine for up to 75 % off the newsstand price . That 's like getting 18 issues FREE . Subscribe now ! TM & \u00a9 2009 Harpo Productions , Inc. . All Rights Reserved .", "question": "is Jennifer getting to her house ?", "answer": "put her house on Craigslist . Two days later , it sold"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN Student News -RRB- -- May 11 , 2009 Quick Guide Russia Victory Day - Discover how an anniversary is connected to a show of Russia 's military might . Charging for Content ? - Debate whether there 's a future in charging readers to view news content online . Final Visit - Depart the Earth 's surface for a maintenance mission needed in outer space . Transcript THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT . THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED . CARL AZUZ , CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR : It 's Monday , I 'm Carl Azuz , and this is CNN Student News ! Thank you for joining us . We 're gon na start things off with a quick check of some headlines . First Up : Headlines AZUZ : Fierce battles are still raging in northwestern Pakistan , where the country 's military is waging an assault against Taliban forces . Officials say as many as 200 members of the militant group were killed in a single day over the weekend . CNN ca n't confirm that information , because journalists are n't allowed in the region . The United Nations is concerned about this impact on civilians . Hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis are leaving the area to try and get away from the violence . And in California , firefighters are getting some help from the weather as they battle that blaze in Santa Barbara . Authorities say low winds and increased humidity are helping to keep the flames under control . The fire , which had destroyed or damaged about 80 homes , was at least 55 percent contained by Sunday . Russia Victory Day AZUZ : And Russia is celebrating the end of World War II with its 64th annual Victory Day . The occasion , which took place on Saturday , marks the date in 1945 when Nazi Germany officially surrendered to the former USSR , which Russia was part of at the time . As Matthew Chance shows us , the weekend ceremony gave Russia an opportunity to show off its military might . -LRB- BEGIN VIDEO CLIP -RRB- MATTHEW CHANCE , CNN CORRESPONDENT : Well , this is the biggest show of force in Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union . Columns of tanks and missile launchers thundered over the cobblestones of Red Square in the center of Moscow for these Victory Day celebrations , marking the defeat of Nazi Germany but also reflecting the Kremlin 's efforts to revive Russia 's armed forces and global power . Well , opening the parade , Russia 's President Dmitry Medvedev told spectators that Russia 's military is ready to respond to any aggression , and he referred obliquely to the country 's brief war with the neighboring former Soviet republic of Georgia last year . DMITRY MEDVEDEV , PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA -LRB- TRANSLATED -RRB- : Now more than ever , it is clear a safe world is possible only where international law is strictly abided by . And that is why our country has initiated a new treaty on European security . Security based on safe arms control and reasonable sufficiency of military construction for the broadest cooperation of states and the exclusively peaceful settlement of conflicts . And we will firmly pursue the execution of these principles . CHANCE : About 9,000 troops took part in a display of military equipment which , for the first time , included state-of-the-art S400 air defense missiles , which the United States and others is concerned may be sold to Iran . Russia also rolled out its new Topol-M intercontinental ballistic missiles , a stock reminder that this fast country remains a formidable nuclear power . Matthew Chance , CNN , Moscow . -LRB- END VIDEO CLIP -RRB- ID Me ERIK NIVISON , CNN STUDENT NEWS : See if you can I.D. Me ! I first appeared in the United States in the late 1600s . I 'm a printed item that 's usually published daily or weekly . I 've been a major source of news for millions of people around the world . I 'm the newspaper , the answer to that old joke , `` What 's black and white and read all over ? '' Charging for Content ? AZUZ : Except newspapers are n't being read as much these days . In fact , at least 120 of them have closed in the U.S. since January of 2008 . One reason : Readers are getting their news for free online at sites like CNN.com . But a major media tycoon who just happens to own some newspapers , says the days of free , online content could be coming to an end . Jim Boulden covers the unfolding issue . -LRB- BEGIN VIDEO CLIP -RRB- JIM BOULDEN , CNN CORRESPONDENT : Rupert Murdoch has floated the idea that some of his general newspapers , like the New York Post , the London Times or The Sun , could follow the model of his Wall St. Journal and charge readers for online content . But with content free for so long , will people pay ? WOMAN ON THE STREET # 1 : No , probably not . You can find almost all the same information somewhere . WOMAN ON THE STREET # 2 : No . I would look somewhere else . BOULDEN : Though Mr. Murdoch will be happy to hear this man would pay for his London Times online . MAN ON THE STREET # 1 : Just because it 's quicker and easier to get it online when you are at home . BOULDEN : Still , some do n't even bother to view the free stuff . WOMAN ON THE STREET # 3 : Newspaper . MAN ON THE STREET # 2 : Actual physical newspapers . BOULDEN : Many news sites , like the New York Times , ask users to register for free . That information can tell potential advertisers who uses the site and for how long . The New York Times.com does charge those who do n't get the physical paper for a little bit of premium content . Others , like Reuters , hold back a lot . TOM GLOCER , CEO , THOMSON REUTERS : The high grade , the high octane stuff we really reserve for our professional customers . So , they 've always paid on a subscription basis and we never make that content free , because it 's vital for people to their jobs . BOULDEN : The Financial Times also charges for anyone wanting to go beyond the basics . It currently has 110,000 paid subscribers . Managing director Rob Grimshaw wants to enhance its charging model . ROB GRIMSHAW , FT.COM : I am very , very interested in exploring some of the possibilities around micro payments , either for individual articles or for access to the site for a shorter period of time . And I think we ought to have a pricing model which actually suits how each individual user wants to access the site . BOULDEN : The FT points out that it can count on subscriptions and focus on increasing those with advertising eroding , something sites that do n't charge ca n't fall back on . That is why Murdoch 's News Corp. empire is keen to see if people will pay to play . -LRB- END VIDEO CLIP -RRB- Shoutout TOMEKA JONES , CNN STUDENT NEWS : Time for the Shoutout ! When did the Hubble Space Telescope send its first pictures back to Earth ? Was it in : A -RRB- 1980 , B -RRB- 1985 , C -RRB- 1990 or D -RRB- 1995 ? You 've got three seconds -- GO ! Hubble has been taking pictures since 1990 , although initial problems caused its first images to be fuzzy . That 's your answer and that 's your Shoutout ! Final Visit AZUZ : Despite some early setbacks , the Hubble Telescope has revolutionized the field of astronomy . Earth 's atmosphere , look up and you 'll see it , makes it difficult for astronomers on the ground to get a complete view of things in outer space . But from its orbit outside the atmosphere , Hubble has a perfect spot . NASA is getting ready to upgrade the telescope . John Zarrella explains how they plan to do it . -LRB- BEGIN VIDEO CLIP -RRB- JOHN ZARRELLA , CNN CORRESPONDENT : For nearly twenty years , the Hubble Space Telescope has been sending back breathtaking images of galaxies and stars and planets . It has transformed how astronomers and cosmologists view the universe and our place in it . JOHN GRUNSFELD , SHUTTLE ATLANTIS MISSION SPECIALIST : Where do planetary systems , where do stars come from ? Hubble has been a tool to answer these fundamental questions that get right at the heart of who we are . ZARRELLA : Now , a team of astronauts will make the fifth and final visit to repair and upgrade Hubble . The objective : extend the telescope 's life at least another five years . It wo n't be easy . The pressure on the shuttle Atlantis crew , immense . SCOTT ALTMAN , SHUTTLE ATLANTIS COMMANDER : We know there 's nobody coming after us to do anything we do n't get done . This is it . We either get it done or it does n't happen . ZARRELLA : 350 miles up , Atlantis will chase down and grab hold of the telescope . For five consecutive days during five seven-hour spacewalks , astronauts will perform the ultimate high-wire act . They 'll change out gyroscopes and batteries , repair and replace cameras . They 'll change circuit boards , remove dozens of screws and delicately cut through aluminum . GRUNSFELD : It 's almost as if I 'm not doing it . It 's kind of a Zen thing , and once we finish the task and I climb back out of the telescope , I 'll look around and go , `` Wow , we 're in space . '' ZARRELLA : Hubble has been such an incredible watershed of knowledge , the dark days right after its launch in 1990 have largely been forgotten . JEFFREY HOFFMAN , RETIRED SHUTTLE ASTRONAUT : There was a time when Hubble was a laughing stock . You know , the `` techno turkey . '' You know , pictures in editorial cartoons , denounced on the floors of Congress , ridiculed in late night television programs . ZARRELLA : The telescope 's primary mirror was flawed , not quite the right shape , off a measly 1/50 , the thickness of a sheet of paper , but just enough to blur the images from space . The first servicing mission fixed the problem , saving the Hubble program . Now , 19 years later , the last visit . HOFFMAN : That 's been the wonderful thing about the ability to service Hubble , is that we do n't just repair it . We leave it a new telescope every time we come back . GRUNSFELD : It 's impossible not to give it some human characteristics and feel sadness when we see it floating away . ZARRELLA : If all goes well , scientists expect the new and improved Hubble will soon wow them and us with discoveries perhaps beyond our dreams . John Zarrella , CNN , at the Johnson Space Center in Houston . -LRB- END VIDEO CLIP -RRB- Before We Go AZUZ : We 're gon na end this show with a bang ! Instant replay ! One more time ! After all that excitement , let 's cool off with some soda . That 's why you do n't shake it up first . Now it might be hard to swallow , but this is actually part of the world 's largest physics lesson , with more than 7,000 students taking part in the scientific spectacle . Goodbye AZUZ : Makes sense , using exploding soda bottles to study fizz-ics . For CNN Student News , I 'm Carl Azuz .", "question": "What will depart from Earth 's surface ?", "answer": "Final Visit - Depart the Earth 's surface for a maintenance mission"}, {"story_text": "Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The United States hopes cool , careful language will keep the North Korean crisis from boiling over . The United States has been vocal in condemning North Korea for what it calls an act of aggression and provocation in the March 26 sinking of a South Korean warship that killed 46 sailors . But you wo n't hear American officials call this `` an act of war . '' In fact , from President Obama on down the chain of command in this latest Korean crisis , the word `` war '' is missing in action . Obama set the tone , offering support and condolences to the South Koreans in March . Once an international investigation concluded last week that the patrol ship Cheonan was sunk by a North Korean torpedo , a White House statement called the ship sinking `` an act of aggression ... one more instance of North Korea 's unacceptable behavior and defiance of international law . '' Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hit the same notes during her trip to China . `` We are working hard to avoid an escalation , belligerence and provocation , '' Clinton said Monday . `` This is a highly precarious situation that the North Koreans have caused in the region and it is one that every country that neighbors or is in proximity to North Korea understands must be contained . '' Washington is standing with South Korea 's decision to halt trade agreements with North Korea . The United States also is emphasizing -- in both words and deeds -- its military ties to South Korea , including an announcement Monday at the Pentagon that the U.S. and South Korean militaries would conduct joint anti-submarine exercises . And the administration is holding its South Korean ally close . Clinton will be in Seoul on Wednesday , and Defense Secretary Robert Gates will meet his counterpart in coming weeks , while Obama will see South Korean President Lee Myung-bak at the Group of 20 conference of developed countries in Canada in June . But while White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Monday that U.S. support for the defense of South Korea is `` unequivocal , '' he did n't mention war . `` Specifically , we endorse President Lee 's demand that North Korea immediately apologize and punish those responsible for the attack , and , most importantly , stop its belligerent and threatening behavior , '' Gibbs said in a prepared statement . North Korea has denied it was responsible for the March 26 sinking and has threatened to back out of a nonaggression pact between the two Koreas . Despite that pact and the 1953 armistice that ended the Korean War , the North and South technically remain at war . And North Korea has a huge standing army ; it bristles with missiles and has tested nuclear weapons twice , in 2006 and 2009 . State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said last week the sinking of the ship was a violation of the armistice , but he chose the phrase `` act of aggression . '' `` As we 've made clear , this was a clear and compelling violation of the existing armistice . It was without doubt a hostile act . It was provocative . It was unwarranted . I think our characterizations are broadly consistent , '' Crowley said . Over at the Pentagon , Gates and Adm. Michael Mullen , chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , both sidestepped questions about whether what North Korea did constitutes an act of war . `` Well , first of all , we certainly support the findings of the Korean -- the South Korean investigation , '' Gates said last week . `` We obviously are in close consultation with the Koreans . The attack was against one of their ships . And we will -- naturally they would have the lead in determining the path forward . They 've laid out some paths forward , and we will be consulting very closely with them as we move ahead . '' Mullen was equally evasive . `` Certainly we 're concerned about it . We 've supported them . We 've helped them in the investigation , and we agree with the conclusion . They 're a great friend and great ally , and we 'll continue to do that , '' Mullen said . Nicholas Szechenyi , a fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies , told CNN , `` If you respond to bombastic rhetoric with equally hot rhetoric , chances are this could escalate . '' `` This is a very sensitive period , '' Szechenyi said in a telephone interview . `` You have to be very careful in forming a response because North Korea is so unpredictable . You do n't want this crisis to develop into all-out war . '' And Bruce Klingner , a northeast Asia analyst at conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation , said avoidance of the phrase `` act of war '' is both a question of how legal experts may evaluate what happened according to international rules -- and one of caution about fanning the flames . `` It may be both definitional as well as concerns about inflammatory language , '' Klingner said . He said the U.S. was taking an appropriate tack in supporting South Korea . But he pointed out that the South Koreans themselves , outraged by the ship 's sinking and loss of life , are treading carefully . `` The Korean people are angry , but not angry enough to bring about an all-out war on the Korean Peninsula , '' Klingner said .", "question": "What did North Korea deny ?", "answer": "it was responsible for the March 26 sinking"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A court Thursday rejected an appeal filed by a former administrative law judge who sued a dry cleaners for $ 54 million over a missing pair of pants . An unidentified man talks on a cell phone in front of the Chung family 's shop , Custom Cleaners . The District of Columbia Court of Appeals `` ruled resoundingly in favor of the Chung family and denied Mr. Roy Pearson 's appeal of the case completely , '' said Christopher Manning , an attorney for the Chung family , who own Custom Cleaners . `` The D.C. Court of Appeals held that the trial court correctly ruled that Mr. Pearson 's claims had no merit whatsoever , '' he added . The Chungs have `` some level of relief , '' Manning told CNN , `` but they wo n't count Mr. Pearson out for at least trying to torment them further '' with future appeals . `` We are very happy with the result and thank everyone for supporting us , '' Jin Chung said in a statement issued by Manning . `` The past three years have been very difficult , but we hope this nightmare is finally over . '' Pearson initially sought $ 67 million from the Chungs , calculating the amount by estimating years of legal violations , adding nearly $ 2 million in common law claims for fraud . The saga began in May 2005 , when Pearson took several pairs of pants to Custom Cleaners for alteration as he prepared to start his new job as an administrative law judge . He alleged that among them was a pair of pants from a blue and maroon suit . When he came to collect his clothing , he said , the Chungs tried to give him a pair of charcoal gray pants that were not his . During a two-day trial , Pearson , who represented himself , said that when he took the pants to the cleaners , his financial situation was precarious : He had just been ordered to pay $ 12,000 in attorney 's fees to his ex-wife , and his credit cards were at their limit . He claimed millions of dollars in attorney fees and millions more in punitive damages for what he called fraudulent advertising under the law . He also claimed that a sign in the store 's window promising `` satisfaction guaranteed '' was an unconditional warranty that required the defendants to honor any claim by any customer without limitation . The Chungs ' attorney argued that no reasonable person would interpret the signs to mean an unconditional promise of satisfaction . District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Judith Bartnoff agreed , ruling that Custom Cleaners did not violate the city 's Consumer Protection Act . Manning , whose law firm handled the appeal on a pro bono basis for the Chungs , said the Chungs hope the `` vague and often unfair '' act will be changed `` so that others do not suffer like they did . '' In August 2007 , the Chungs dropped their bid to recover legal costs in the hopes that Pearson would drop his appeal . Pearson may request that the appeal be heard again by the entire panel of D.C. Court of Appeals judges , Manning said . He also could petition to the U.S. Supreme Court for an appeal . `` It is the Chungs ' hope that Mr. Pearson will not attempt to appeal any further and will end his frivolous and baseless attacks on the Chung family , '' Manning wrote in the statement . `` The 3 1/2 years this case has been pending and appealed have been very difficult for the Chungs , '' he said . `` They lost two of their dry cleaning stores and their realization of the American dream . '' He said the family wants to `` quietly return to their one remaining small dry-cleaning store ... to rebuild their lives . '' Pearson was taken off the bench in May 2007 while the lawsuit was pending and was not reappointed as an administrative law judge when his term expired . He filed a federal lawsuit in May 2008 to get his government job back , accusing city government and others of an `` unlawful demotion and subsequent termination . '' That suit remains pending . CNN 's Paul Courson contributed to this story .", "question": "How much was the lawsuit over missing pants for ?", "answer": "54 million"}, {"story_text": "ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Why would an award-winning singer , songwriter , producer and single mother want to tack reality TV star onto her long list of accomplishments ? Kandi Burruss says she is happy to join the `` Real Housewives of Atlanta '' cast . For Kandi Burruss , the newest member of the Real Housewives of Atlanta , the answer is simple : `` I was a fan last year . I love the show . '' The second season of Bravo 's hit show is set to premier on Thursday with Burruss replacing cast member DeShawn Snow . Burruss is well-known in the music industry as a former member of the platinum-selling R&B girl group Xscape and co-writer of such hits as Destiny 's Child 's `` Bills , Bills , Bills '' and TLC 's `` No Scrubs , '' for which she won a Grammy . The Atlanta native almost ended up on another reality show with former group mate and writing partner Tameka `` Tiny '' Cottle , who is the fianc\u00e9e of rapper T.I. and now stars on BET 's `` Tiny & Toya '' alongside Antonia `` Toya '' Carter , the ex-wife of Lil ' Wayne . The deal for that show did n't work out and Burruss said she was more than happy to sign on with Bravo 's wildly successful southern edition of the `` Housewives '' franchise , which chronicles the lives of a group of affluent African-American women in the ATL . Burruss was already friendly with cast mate Lisa Wu Hartwell , whom she met through their mutual friend Cottle . Having watched the show -- which last season enraptured viewers with a mix of constant infighting , lavish lifestyles and a healthy dose of drama -- Burruss said she was more concerned with being thrust into the public eye than she was with getting along with the cast . `` The only thing that made me hesitant about wanting to be a part of the show is the fact that people are so critical of the show , '' she said . `` Just dealing with people on the outside judging you . That part is going to be something that I am going to have to get used to . '' The artist has already had to get acclimated to people smearing her personal life on the Internet . Watch Burruss discuss her time on the show '' Newly engaged to a father of six children , Burruss has watched him get attacked in blogs and is protective of the man who she said even her mother is n't thrilled about her marrying . '' -LSB- The show -RSB- has been very , very stressful on the relationship , '' she said . `` I guess -LSB- people -RSB- could n't find anything bad -LSB- to say -RSB- about me , so they wanted to go in on my fianc\u00e9 . '' Her caring nature and laid-back personality make Burruss special in the industry , said rapper Rick Ross . `` She 's a very humble person , maybe one of the most humble people among the biggest songwriters in the industry , '' said Ross , who collaborated with Burruss on a track for a new solo album she has in the works . `` It 's good to be around the greats and she most definitely is one of the greatest in the industry . '' Her home music studio attests to that . The walls are covered with gold and platinum records for her work with several high-profile artists including Alicia Keys , * NSYNC , Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston . Being part of a girl group helped prepare her for the drama of dealing with the other housewives ' personalities , Burruss said , though she admitted clashing with outspoken cast mate NeNe Leakes during filming . `` I was a fan of hers last year , '' Burruss said . `` All that wild and crazy stuff she says to people , when you 're watching it , it 's funny , it 's hilarious ... but when it 's directed at you , it 's not funny anymore . '' Burruss got along better with aspiring singer Kim Zolciak , who Burruss will assist in achieving her dream of breaking into the industry . Last season , fans of the show -- and some of the other housewives -- slammed Zolciak for her less-than-stellar voice . `` Everybody loves to hate on Kim . But what I have to say is that Kim is actually cooler in person than she came off on the show , '' said Burruss , who in 1999 won top songwriter of the year from the American Society of Composers , Authors and Publishers . `` I wanted to help her out because I love helping the underdog . '' The busy artist said she has no idea if she will be invited back for another season . Appearing on the show , which Burruss said is not scripted , was fun , but she is busy with an upcoming album and with caring for her daughter , Riley , she said . She doubts she will be addicted to appearing on reality TV like she is addicted to music , Burruss said . `` It 's just another way for people to get to know you and hopefully they see me in a good light , '' she said . `` You always hope that it does n't backfire . ''", "question": "What is Burruss vocation ?", "answer": "award-winning singer , songwriter , producer and single mother"}, {"story_text": "London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A woman 's body was found in a river in Wales , police said Tuesday , the second death from severe flooding that has hit England and Wales since late last week . The body of the woman , who was not named , was found in the River Usk near the village of Talybont , in mid Wales close to the coast , Brecon police said . Search teams had been looking for her since Sunday . Talybont is about 250 miles south of Cockermouth , England , which has experienced some of the worst flooding seen in decades . Friday , parts of Cockermouth were under several feet of water after heavy rainfall the night before . The town sits at the intersection of two rivers , the Cocker and the Derwent , both of which burst their banks and raged through the town . By Tuesday , the flood waters had receded and the clean-up and damage assessment was well under way . But rain was still falling over the entire region , raising fears of further flooding in some areas . Britain 's Environment Agency said river levels across the county of Cumbria remained high but are unlikely to rise to levels seen last week . Twenty road bridges in Cumbria were closed Tuesday , including seven that collapsed in the floods , Cumbria County Council spokesman Gareth Cosslett told CNN . Also shut were eight footbridges , which are an essential means of connecting residents in riverside towns . In Workington , where Cumbria Police Constable Bill Barker died in the floods last week , the two sides of the town are cut off from each other because all bridges were either washed away or closed for safety reasons . `` We 're hoping to get a temporary road bridge installed in Workington , '' Cosslett said , describing it as the council 's first priority . `` We have n't yet confirmed what we 're going to do or when that 's going to happen , but in all likelihood we 're looking at a single-lane temporary bridge with traffic lights on either side . '' Cosslett had no estimate on when the bridge could be complete , but he said such a project may take more than a month . The worst weather Tuesday was in Cumbria , where the Met Office , the UK 's weather service , predicted heavy and persistent rain and accumulations of 1.2 to 2.4 inches -LRB- 30 to 60 millimeters -RRB- . Rain and strong gusts were also forecast for Wales on Tuesday , the Met Office said . The rain was expected to move through the region by Wednesday , but more was set to return by Thursday , according to Met Office forecasts . Sixty-eight flood watches and warnings were in place across England and Wales on Wednesday , the Environment Agency said .", "question": "Where is the River Usk ?", "answer": "near the village of Talybont , in mid Wales"}, {"story_text": "Los Angeles , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Mexican judge has issued an arrest warrant for reality TV producer Bruce Beresford-Redman in the death of his wife at a Cancun resort in April , his lawyer said Monday . `` We have been advised that Mexican authorities have issued a warrant for the arrest of Bruce Beresford-Redman in connection with the murder of his wife , Monica , '' defense lawyer Richard Hirsch said Monday . `` This news , if true , is extremely disturbing since it appears that this case is being handled in a manner outside the normal procedures in Mexico . '' The prosecutor in Mexico had said earlier Monday he had developed a `` very concrete , very specific '' case that was sent to a judge Friday for consideration of charges . Quintana Roo Attorney General Francisco Alor said through a spokesman that the investigation file , with recommended charges , was sent to the judge on Friday . `` It is our understanding that the issuance of an arrest warrant normally entails a detailed judicial review that takes anywhere from several weeks to several months , '' Hirsch said . `` It appears that the way this matter is being handled constitutes a rush to judgment . '' Bruce Beresford-Redman was briefly detained after Monica Beresford-Redman 's body was found in a sewer at the Moon Palace Resort on April 8 . His passport was taken by investigators and he was told not to leave Mexico until the probe was concluded . The former producer on TV 's `` Survivor '' recently returned to his Los Angeles , California , home , to take care of family business and see his two young children , his lawyer said . His lawyer issued a statement from Beresford-Redman Monday after learning of the arrest warrant . `` I am devastated at her loss , '' Beresford-Redman said in the statement , `` and I am incensed at the suggestion that I could have had anything to do with her death . I am innocent . My children have had one parent taken from them by a senseless act of violence . I implore the Mexican authorities not to take their remaining parent by a miscarriage of justice and to do what is right , not just what is expedient . '' Hirsch said Friday that there should not be `` a rush to judgment , '' adding that there have been other unsolved deaths and an attack at the resort . He cited the death of an elderly Scottish woman , who was found in a swamp weeks after leaving a pool for a walk , and a Canadian man who allegedly fell from a hotel balcony . Jeff Toews , a Canadian , was found dead in May 2007 . Investigators decided he died from a drunken fall from a balcony , but his family did not accept that explanation . Julia Howard , a 77-year-old woman from Scotland , was found dead in a dense swamp six weeks after disappearing from a pool area last summer . Her family also rejected the police conclusion that her death was an accident . A woman reported an attempted rape in her hotel room `` several days after Mrs. Beresford-Redman 's body was discovered , '' Hirsch said . `` We have brought this to the attention of the authorities and , in particular , to the attorney general in Cancun and asked them to pursue all leads before making a decision whether of not to charge our client , '' Hirsch said . `` We feel that this case should not be a rush to judgment . '' `` There are strange things going on -- I think that need to be pursued , '' he said . A spokeswoman for the resort directed CNN to a Mexican news report that quoted the prosecutor saying there was no connection between other deaths and the Beresford-Redman case . The initial investigation suggested Monica Beresford-Redman `` died of strangulation , because of the bruising , '' Mexican regional police spokesman Adrian Cardena said . A source close to the wife has told CNN that she cleaned out the family bank account and took her two children to Hawaii because she was upset about her husband 's extramarital affair . The couple later traveled to Cancun in an effort to repair their marriage , the source said . A Los Angeles judge decided Friday that the children , ages 3 and 5 , could not attend a memorial service organized Sunday by Monica Beresford-Redman 's sisters because a therapist said it might be emotionally harmful to them . `` We respect the decision of the court , but we are very disappointed the fact that the children were denied to participate in the celebration of their mother 's life , '' Jeane Burgos said . The sisters are fighting Beresford-Redman for custody of the children . Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff delayed any decision on changing the current custody arrangement . Beresford-Redman 's parents were given temporary custody in April after he was told by Mexican police to remain in the country while they investigated . He filed papers for custody to be returned to him last week . Bruce Beresford-Redman built his career as a Hollywood reality television show producer . He worked for several seasons on the popular CBS show `` Survivor , '' in which contestants compete against each other in a variety of extreme outdoor scenarios . He was nominated for three Emmy Awards as a producer on the show and was last credited as a producer in 2004 . He also worked on NBC 's `` The Contender '' and `` The Restaurant , '' as well as MTV 's `` Pimp My Ride , '' according to entertainment media company IMG . Monica Beresford-Redman , a native of Brazil , owned a restaurant in Los Angeles . CNN 's Rosalina Nieves contributed to this report .", "question": "What does a MExican judge issue ?", "answer": "an arrest warrant for reality TV producer"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- U.S. Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III plans to emulate the decision of his Presidents Cup counterpart Fred Couples and select former world number one Tiger Woods for next year 's contest with Europe . Woods , a 14-time major winner , has struggled with form and fitness since problems in his personal life emerged two years ago . The American has slipped to 50th in golf 's world rankings , having not won a tournament since the Australian Masters in November 2009 . But the 35-year-old 's recent slump has not prevented Couples , the 1992 Masters champion , from selecting Woods as a wildcard pick for November 's Presidents Cup clash with the International team in Australia . `` Well I 've been asked that a lot , what would I do if I was in Fred 's situation , '' Love , himself a former major champion , told a press conference at Medina Golf and Country Club in Chicago , the venue for the 2012 Ryder Cup . Look out Europe : American golf is bouncing back `` You certainly want one of the best players ever in the game , you want him on your team . I 'm hoping , for Tiger 's sake , that he has a full healthy season next year and we are not in this situation . That he 's back to his form and he 's ready to go . `` I would love to play as Tiger Woods ' partner in a Presidents Cup or a Ryder Cup . So I would probably have to go with exactly what Fred did . '' Woods has played in six Ryder Cups since 1997 , but his only experience of team victory came at Brookline , Massachusetts in 1999 after missing out due to injury three years ago . He had planned to take the rest of this year off , but his Presidents Cup selection persuaded him to enter the Frys.com Open starting October 6 , when he will be partnered by new caddy Joe LaCava -- who carried Couples ' bag for more than 20 years . LaCava left Couples this year when the 51-year-old decided to reduce his playing schedule , and worked with 2010 Ryder Cup player Dustin Johnson until the end of the PGA Tour 's recent FedEx Cup playoffs . `` Joe is an outstanding caddy , '' Woods told his official website on Sunday . `` I have known him for many years . I 've personally seen the great job he did for Freddie . I 'm anxious for us to be working together . '' LaCava added : `` I 'm excited to be working with Tiger . I contacted Tiger and Mark -LRB- Steinberg , Woods ' agent -RRB- because this is a unique opportunity to be part of something very special . `` Tiger and I have been friends for a very long time , and I know what he can do . ''", "question": "Who is Joe LaCava ?", "answer": "caddy"}, {"story_text": "Khartoum , Sudan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad lashed out Monday at `` the powers of arrogance , '' saying that both Sudan and Iran were subject to `` pressures '' from the West because of their political positions . `` They pressure Sudan and Iran ; why ? Because we stand against the powers of arrogance , '' Ahmadinejad said during a visit to Khartoum . Speaking to a crowd of cheering youths , students and supporters in Khartoum 's Friendship Hall , Ahmadinejad criticized Europe and the United States for what he described as the `` stealing '' of Africa 's wealth . `` They stole the riches of Africa , '' he said . `` Despite this wealth , we see poverty and deprivation . '' Ahmadinejad arrived in Khartoum Monday morning on his way back to Iran after speaking to the United Nations General Assembly in New York , and after a brief stop in Mauritania . Western delegates walked out of his speech at the U.N.after he repeatedly condemned the United States and said some countries use the Holocaust as an `` excuse to pay ransom ... to Zionists . '' `` They do n't want to see Sudan strong so they pressured it into a referendum , '' he said , in reference to the South Sudan referendum that led to the independence of South Sudan last July . `` Could there be a referendum in Europe , in the Basque -LRB- region of Spain -RRB- and other areas ? '' he asked . `` I am sure if there was a neutral referendum in the U.S. , some states would secede from the U.S. , '' he continued . `` The waves of consciences have started especially in the Muslim lands , '' he said , in reference to the popular revolutions that have sprung out in the Arab world . Earlier , Ahmadinejad and Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir met , along with a large team of ministers from both countries . `` We are looking for more economic cooperation with sisterly Iran , '' al-Bashir said in a meeting . `` We confirm our support for Iran 's right to develop its nuclear technology for peaceful purposes , '' he added . In a joint statement by both governments , Iran stated that it was `` ready to transfer its experience in the science and manufacturing sectors , especially technical and engineering services , to improve Sudan 's infrastructure . ''", "question": "Where did they speak at the U.N. ?", "answer": "United Nations General Assembly in New York"}, {"story_text": "Dhaka , Bangladesh -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged global leaders Monday to launch a multibillion-dollar climate fund agreed to last year in Cancun , Mexico . The U.N. chief made the call as he attended a conference of climate vulnerable countries held here in the Bangladesh capital . Representatives from 20 countries attended the ministerial level meeting inaugurated by Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina . Ban said , `` We are in the middle of a serious economic crisis . But even in these difficult times , we can not afford delay . We can not ask the poorest and the most vulnerable to bear the costs . '' `` The Green Climate Fund needs to be launched in Durban . An empty shell is not sufficient , '' he said . `` Governments must lead the way to catalyze the $ 100 billion dollars per annum from public and private sources that was pledged to 2020 , '' he said . He urged the governments to find a compromise on the Kyoto Protocol on climate change at a Durban climate conference and to make a broader comprehensive climate agreement possible in the future . `` Durban must complete what was agreed last year in Cancun , '' he said at the Climate Vulnerable Forum-2011 . The two-day CVF conference began Sunday , aiming to reach consensus on various climate issues and an agreement to work together at the 17th Conference of the Parties -LRB- COP-17 -RRB- to be held in Durban , South Africa , beginning November 28 . Ban said adaptation must be a priority for all countries , but especially the most vulnerable . `` They need help with resources and technology , '' he said . The conference of the alliance of the 26 most vulnerable countries to climate change , ended with the adoption of a 14-point Dhaka Ministerial Declaration . Bangladesh Prime Minister Hasina expressed her frustration over a slow and inadequate progress of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change -LRB- UNFCCC -RRB- process to confront the daunting challenges of climate change , and she called for setting criteria to prioritize vulnerable countries based on their risks and lack of coping capacities . `` We see no evidence of direct and easy access to funds and technology , and conditions and criteria seem to favor countries that have greater capacities ... most vulnerable countries are failing to access whatever support that are being realized , '' she said . The CVF members expressed their determination to stand indivisible to face causes , consequences and collateral effects of climate change in their declaration . They reiterated firm resolve to work collectively with the other Parties to the UNFCCC towards limiting foreseeable global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels , peaking global green house gas emissions by 2015 . Briefing reporters after the conference , the Bangladesh state minister for environment and forests , Dr. Hasan Mahmud , said , `` We have decided to raise our voice together on various contentious issues in Durban '' . The declaration said climate change induced displacement of people has become a major concern , and the relocation and rehabilitation of those people is putting enormous pressure on infrastructures and service facilities , as well as causing tremendous social stresses . It said migration is a viable adaptation strategy to manage risks during displacement and relocation and affected populations should be offered enhanced options leading to a dignified and diversified livelihood . The Climate Vulnerable Forum was founded at the initiative of the Maldives in 2009 and 26 countries , mostly from the group called the Least Developed Countries , have joined the forum so far . The CVF members include Antigua , Barbuda , Bangladesh , Barbados , Bhutan , Costa Rica , Ethiopia , Ghana , Grenada , Guyana , Kenya , Kiribati , Liberia , Maldives , Marshall Islands , Micronesia , Nepal , Philippines , Rwanda , Saint Lucia , Samoa , Solomon Islands , Tanzania , Timor-Leste , Tuvalu , Vanuatu and Vietnam .", "question": "The ministers agreed to stand united on a number of what ?", "answer": "contentious issues in Durban"}, {"story_text": "MOSCOW , Russia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Russian officials on Monday located a Russian cargo ship that has been missing for more than two weeks after it was believed to have been hijacked , a top official said . The Arctic Sea had been missing since July 31 . The Arctic Sea was located 300 miles -LRB- 483 km -RRB- from Cape Verde , an island nation a few hundred miles from the coast of western Africa , said Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov . The crew `` is alive and well , '' he said . `` The crew members have been moved to our anti-submarine warfare ship Ladny where they are answering questions , '' Serdyukov said . `` The questioning aims to clarify all circumstances of how the ship disappeared and why did it not send any -LSB- emergency -RSB- signals . '' The Arctic Sea , which sails under a Maltese flag , had not been heard from since July 31 . It was carrying a 6,500-ton cargo of timber from Finland to Algeria when it reported trouble on July 24 off the coast of Sweden . It was scheduled to arrive in North Africa on August 4 . On Friday , the ship was reported to be in international waters north of Cape Verde . The news came from Portugal 's state news agency , which quoted Cape Verde 's defense director , Pedro Reis . The U.S. military also had a report last week that the ship had been seen a few hundred miles from Cape Verde , two military sources told CNN , but the United States had no independent verification of those reports . The U.S. military was not involved in the search . At the time , Russia 's ambassador to Cape Verde , however , denied that the Arctic Sea had been spotted near the island nation . On July 24 , the ship 's 15-member crew had told authorities that eight to 12 people armed with guns and pistols boarded the vessel about 3 a.m. that day , masked and wearing uniforms with the word `` police '' written on them , the Malta Maritime Authority said . `` During -LSB- the attackers ' -RSB- stay onboard , the members of the crew were allegedly assaulted , tied , gagged and blindfolded and some of them were seriously injured , '' the maritime authority said in a written statement . Swedish police reached the ship by phone on July 31 and spoke with someone they believe to be the captain , police spokeswoman Maria Lonegard said . It was the last known communication with the vessel , which was believed to be off the coast of France at that time . On Saturday Finnish police told CNN that a ransom demand had been issued to the ship 's owners , Solchart Management , for the return of the vessel .", "question": "What was the name of the cargo ship which was found weeks after disappearing ?", "answer": "The Arctic Sea"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The owner of a North Carolina beach house where seven college students died in a weekend fire said Monday that his family 's `` lives were just changed forever '' by the tragedy . Chip Auman said his 18-year-old daughter survived the fire but was hospitalized and in stable condition because of complications from smoke inhalation . `` The thought of losing a child is unimaginable to me , and as a father my heart goes out to the families that lost a loved one in this situation , '' he said . Auman said the situation was `` hard to fathom . '' `` There 's just no words to describe what we 've been going through , '' he said , asking for prayers for survivors and the families of those who died . `` We 're numb , we 're confused , we 're heartbroken . '' Two college campuses mourned Monday . Six University of South Carolina students and a Clemson University student died in the fire early Sunday morning in Ocean Isle Beach , North Carolina . Six other South Carolina students were able to get out of the house in time . The six were treated and released from nearby Brunswick Community Hospital , but Auman 's daughter was hospitalized again in Hartsville , South Carolina . Authorities from the state Bureau of Investigation and the federal Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives are leading the investigation into the cause of the fire . Ocean Isle Beach Mayor Debbie Smith said the house was `` engulfed '' in flames when the fire department arrived on the scene , about five minutes after being notified . The flames shot into the sky and ultimately left little more than portions of the framing . Fire officials do not believe foul play was involved . Watch a neighbor 's video , fears of fast-burning fire '' Dennis A. Pruitt , the vice president for student affairs for the University of South Carolina , said investigators have said it would be Tuesday or Wednesday before the identities of the victims are confirmed publicly . It could be as much as a month until investigators know the cause of the fire , Pruitt said . The university did not cancel classes on Monday , but Pruitt said arrangements had been made for those who need to go home or stay out of class at the 28,000-student campus . Pruitt said meetings had been held Sunday with members of Delta Delta Delta sorority and Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity . The South Carolina students were affiliated with those houses , he said , although he stressed that the weekend was not an official Greek function . He also said counselors and ministers were available to help students deal with the loss of their classmates . The university president , Dr. Andrew Sorenson , contacted the families of those who died in the fire to express the condolences and support of the university community . Jay Laura , student president of the USC chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon , said the campus would pull together after the tragedy . `` If any place can come together to help in the healing process and the aftermath of an event like this , it is South Carolina , '' Laura said at a Monday afternoon press conference . Fire survivor Tripp Wylie , a 20-year-old South Carolina sophomore , said he jumped out of a third-story window into a canal to escape the flames and was unable to get back in to help his friends . `` I could see a buddy of mine off to the left who had gotten out . He was just yelling at me to jump and stuff , '' Wylie told CNN affiliate WYFF . `` The smoke was pouring out , could n't really breathe , so I had to make a quick decision . -LSB- I -RSB- just kind of leaned out the window and luckily I jumped far enough to make it into the canal . '' Neighbors flocked to see the fire as firefighters battled and ultimately got the blaze under control . See the scenes of devastation '' George Smith , who lives across the street from the house , said he heard sirens between 6:30 and 7 a.m. and went outside to see `` the whole sky lit up . '' `` The whole house was completely engulfed in flames , up to about 20 feet , '' he said . `` I have never seen -LSB- a fire -RSB- move so fast . '' George Smith said the house 's occupants were `` partying in there yesterday and into the night . '' After about 10:30 p.m. Saturday they quieted down , he said . Linda Sing said she was walking her dog when she saw the fiery destruction . She noted that firefighters had saved an adjacent house by spraying it down with water . `` We knew there were people in there , but we hoped and prayed they 'd gotten out , '' Sing said . `` This is the worst thing I 've ever seen . We 've had hurricanes , but this is worse . '' Ocean Isle Beach is a popular resort destination along North Carolina 's southern coast . The year-round population of the 7-mile-long island is about 425 , but it swells to about 25,000 during the summer season , according to the town 's Web site . E-mail to a friend", "question": "What school did the students go to ?", "answer": "University of South Carolina"}, {"story_text": "NAIROBI , Kenya -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Heavy rains triggered by El Nino weather patterns could potentially prove devastating for east African nations that have been water-starved for months , the United Nations has warned . A Turkana boy holds an empty cup in a village in northwestern Kenya . Kenya , Somalia , Tanzania and Uganda are facing mudslides , crop destruction , waterborne diseases and disrupted road networks , the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Friday . Djibouti , Eritrea and Ethiopia could also be affected . The effects of flooding are expected to be exacerbated because so much greenery has disappeared in the drought . `` More than 23 million people in pastoral , agricultural and suburban communities , as well as internally displaced people and refugees in the region , are reeling from the impact of water and food shortages , pasture scarcity , conflict and insecurity , '' said John Holmes , the under-secretary general for humanitarian affairs who is coordinating emergency relief operations . `` While we can not prevent these climatic shocks , we certainly can mitigate their disastrous effects through forward planning and the right funding from the donor community , '' he said . Uganda , hit by El Nino a decade ago , is planning to apply some of the lessons learned this time around , said Fred Opolot , a government spokesman . `` The government has allocated funds and resources to areas that will be affected , '' he said . `` Our disaster preparedness department is using press briefings , among other ways , to inform the public . '' Though the department is not very well-funded , he said , the government is working with groups such as the United Nations and international aid agencies to prepare for floods . `` It is a multifaceted effort ... we want to ensure citizens are sensitized to the dangers of El Nino and things such as bridges are in good condition . '' The rainy season begins in the Horn of Africa in mid-October and runs through the end of the year . Meteorologists have forecasted that this year 's rains will be more intense than usual because of the El Nino phenomenon , caused by a rise in temperature in the Pacific and Indian oceans . Aid agencies are already buckling under the weight of helping millions of people who have suffered through months of failed crops , drought and erratic rains caused by climate change . In Somalia , 450,000 people in the Juba and Shabelle river basins could suffer , the United Nations estimates . In neighboring Kenya , some 750,000 people -- 150,000 of whom are refugees -- could be affected . The Turkana , a pastoral tribe in northeastern Kenya , is already reeling from a severe drought that has left scores of people dead and remains of skeletal cows strewn across the flat , arid land . The remote region has no access to resources , making it especially vulnerable to natural disasters such as floods . CNN 's Moni Basu and Faith Karimi contributed to this report .", "question": "What nations are facing flooding ?", "answer": "Kenya , Somalia , Tanzania and Uganda"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Up to 30 million people are facing `` a humanitarian disaster '' as one of Africa 's biggest lakes shrinks , a United Nations agency warned Thursday . Porters remove goods from a boat on Lake Chad in 2007 . Lake Chad was about the size of Maryland -- bigger than Israel or Kuwait -- in 1963 , satellite images show . By 2001 , it covered less than one-fifth of that area -- making it smaller than Delaware or Mauritius . The drying-up of the shallow lake is fueling conflict and migration , the U.N. 's Food and Agriculture Organization said . Once one of the biggest bodies of water in the world , it could disappear entirely in about 20 years , the FAO said , citing forecasts from the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration . `` If that happens it 's going to be a disaster , '' Parviz Koohafkan , director of the Land and Water Division of the FAO , told CNN by phone from Rome . The Lake Chad basin is `` one of the most important agriculture heritage sites in the world -- the biodiversity , the migratory birds , not to mention more than 20 million people living out of Lake Chad -- fisherpeople , farmers . '' `` It would be a human disaster , a tragedy , '' he said . `` In this case we have people who are the poorest of the poor . '' `` In addition to an approximately 60 percent decline in fish production , there has been degradation of pasturelands , leading to a shortage of animal feed estimated at 45 percent in certain places in 2006 , reduction in livestock and biodiversity , '' the agency said . The disappearance of the lake is being caused by climate change , population pressure and natural variations in climate , the FAO said . Two rivers which feed the lake , the Chari and Logone , have been significantly reduced in the past 40 years , the agency said . The organization will unveil the results of a study into the diversion of the Oubangui river in an effort to help Lake Chad at a conference , `` Saving Lake Chad , '' in Rome , Italy , on Friday . `` Water transfer is not a new thing , '' Koohafkan told CNN . `` The major problem is that this is water transfer among different countries . `` These options cost money , and need policy work , need technical work , '' he said . `` Some kind of public-private partnership would be needed '' to pay for any solution as ambitious as diverting a river . The lake borders on Cameroon , Chad , Niger and Nigeria , one of Africa 's most populous countries . It measured about 25,000 square kilometers -LRB- 9,652 square miles -RRB- in 1963 and 1,500 square kilometers -LRB- 579 square miles -RRB- in 2001 -- just under 17 percent its size 38 years earlier . Lake Chad is only one of many inland bodies of water which are drying up . Similar warnings have been issued about lakes in Mexico , Russia and elsewhere .", "question": "How many people are supported by the lake ?", "answer": "to 30 million"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Thursday that a new Middle East -- one `` without Zionists and without colonialists '' -- was quickly emerging as regional bonds grow stronger by the day . The hard-line leader made the comments after a meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus on Thursday . `` The whole world should know that Iran will stand behind the Syrian nation to the end , '' Ahmadinejad said in remarks aired on Iran 's state-run Press TV . `` Regional bonds are very strong . '' His comments came during a two-day visit to Damascus that follows efforts by the United States to weaken ties between Iran and Syria . President Obama recently nominated veteran diplomat Robert Ford to be the new ambassador in Damascus , ending a five-year diplomatic hiatus there and sparking talk of a renewed relationship . But Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has tempered the thawing of relations by saying that Washington remains concerned with Syria 's close ties to Iran . `` No one has enlightened her to comment on regional issues , '' Ahmadinejad said , slamming Clinton 's statements as interfering . `` The whole U.S. government has no impact whatsoever on regional relations . '' Tensions between Washington and Tehran have risen over Iran 's nuclear program , which Iran insists is intended for civilian use but the United States believes is intended for developing weapons . Assad voiced strong support for Iran and brushed off U.S. sentiment . '' I find it strange how they talk about Middle East stability and at the same time talk about dividing two countries , '' he said . The meeting between Assad and Ahmadinejad sparked a harsh reaction from Israeli President Shimon Peres . `` The time has come to speak the truth , '' he said in a written statement . `` The problem in the Middle East is not the Palestinians . The Palestinian problem will be resolved through the peace process in Israel . The central problem in the Middle East is Iran 's attempt to reach hegemony over the Arab lands . '' `` The source of the problem is Ahmadinejad 's megalomania . Assad must choose what he wants -- to join the Iranian camp of evil and terror or to make peace with Israel , '' he said . He called on Assad to sit down with Israel to reach a peace agreement .", "question": "What does Assad say about U.S. policy ?", "answer": "I find it strange how they talk about Middle East stability and at the same time talk about dividing two countries"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Supreme Court has given a girl 's parents the go-ahead to sue a Massachusetts school district over alleged sexual harassment by another student . A U.S. Supreme Court ruling allows a couple two avenues to pursue claims against their daughter 's school district . The justices , in a unanimous ruling , allowed the plaintiffs two avenues to make their claims -- a 1972 law banning gender bias in education and a separate civil rights law enacted 138 years ago . Lisa and Robert Fitzgerald said their then-kindergartner daughter was forced by an older male student to lift her skirt or pull down her underwear . The parents alleged school officials ignored their concerns and refused to discipline the boy . Federal courts had been split over whether the newer law -- known as Title IX -- displaced any claims made under part of the 1871 civil rights law , called `` Section 1983 . '' The Fitzgeralds lost their initial Title IX claims and an appeals court blocked them from pursuing the other legal strategy . The ruling from the justices now gives the Fitzgeralds the right to continue their lawsuit against school officials . `` We hold that Section 1983 suits based on the Equal Protection Clause remain available to plaintiffs alleging unconstitutional gender discrimination in schools , '' Justice Samuel Alito wrote . The plaintiffs allege the incidents happened on a school bus in Barnstable , Massachusetts , in the 2000-01 academic year . The child had told her parents that whenever she wore a dress , a third-grader would make her do things she did not want to do . After the mother complained to school officials , the boy denied the allegations . The principal , after interviewing other students and the bus driver , concluded she could not corroborate the girl 's version of events . The principal suggested the girl be transferred to another bus as a possible solution . The Fitzgeralds said that amounted to punishing their daughter and said the boy was the one who should be transferred . The local police department also looked into the case but concluded there was insufficient evidence to bring criminal charges against the boy . The parents began driving the girl to school and filed a lawsuit , claiming the schools system 's response was inadequate . School officials denied wrongdoing and tried to limit the case to Title IX , which applies to public or private schools receiving federal aid . The law is credited , among other things , with helping bring equality in sports participation and funding for college women . `` Our concern was that the school district just did n't take things as seriously as they should , '' said Charles Rothfeld , attorney for the Fitzgeralds . `` They were frustrated by what they perceived as indifference by the school . '' Rothfeld said the school 's behavior was `` pretty egregious . '' Barnstable school officials did not respond to a request for comment . The case is Fitzgerald v. Barnstable School Cmte . -LRB- 07-1125 -RRB- .", "question": "Did anyone witness the sexual assault on the bus ?", "answer": "after interviewing other students and the bus driver , concluded she could not corroborate the girl 's version of events"}, {"story_text": "LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The view will be one unlike any other . Climbing up through the clouds at a rate faster than the speed of sound , the sky will darken to a deep blue and then to black . Below , entire mountain ranges , coastlines and cities will shift into focus as the horizon bends around the curvature of the Earth - the thin veil of its atmosphere shimmering against a backdrop of stars . An emerging space tourism industry may give thousands of travelers a new view of Earth . And then , of course , there will be the feeling of weightlessness . `` It is just life changing , '' said Col. Richard Searfoss , a retired NASA shuttle commander . `` To be outside the atmosphere and see the curvature of the Earth and see so much land area at once , it gives you a sense of separateness but connectedness . '' The view of Earth from outer space is a sight that in the history of mankind only a few hundred people have ever seen . But that could soon change as what was once an almost nonexistent space tourism industry slowly matures into what some analysts predict could be a billion dollar enterprise with thousands of passengers by the end of the next decade . `` This is just the beginning of the golden age of space flight , '' said Peter Diamandis , chairman of the X Prize Foundation , which awarded the $ 10 million Ansari X Prize in 2004 for the first privately funded human flight to the edge of space . `` Looking back a thousand years from now , this will be the period of time when the human race irrevocably moved off the planet . '' Look back roughly ten years , though , and the idea of sending tourists into space seemed more like science fiction than a viable business plan , said John Gedmark , executive director of the Personal Spaceflight Federation , a trade association representing the space travel industry . `` No one ever thought this was real at all , '' said Gedmark . `` It was just completely unthinkable . '' But that perception began to change in 2001 when American multimillionaire Dennis Tito became the world 's first so-called space tourist , traveling aboard a Russian Soyuz capsule to the International Space Station for a price of around $ 20 million . Four more tourists have since made the trip . Another major milestone for the industry has been a growing interest and investment from entrepreneurs like Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen , who financed the development of SpaceShipOne , winner of the Ansari X Prize , and British billionaire Richard Branson , founder of the space tourism company , Virgin Galactic . `` Since then the activity has been more evenly spread and steadier and more consistent and more determined , '' said Gedmark . `` Now you have a number of companies working on multiple fronts to get people into space . '' There are now at least a dozen space tourism endeavors worldwide , offering experiences that range from a flight to the fringe of space to astronaut training on a tropical island . While the companies make up a varied landscape of technological know-how , financial wherewithal and enterprising ideas , they all share one common goal : The desire to conquer what is widely considered to be the final frontier of mankind -- the universe . `` The human species is about evolution and is about moving forward , '' said Eric Anderson , president of Space Adventures Ltd. , the Virginia-based company responsible for arranging civilian trips to the space station on the Soyuz . `` Space is filled with infinite resources that can make our lives better . '' This October , Richard Garriott , a computer-game developer and son of former NASA astronaut Owen Garriott , is scheduled to become Space Adventures ' sixth client to leave the planet followed by a seventh yet-to-be identified passenger next April . Space Adventures is also planning to build commercial spaceports near Dubai and in Singapore . But Anderson said the next big step involves something slightly further afield - a trip to the Moon . With a price tag of $ 100 million per seat , two tourists and a pilot would spend around two weeks board a modified Russian spacecraft with the chance to see an Earth rise from lunar orbit and cruise around the far side of the Moon . The excursion will launch when contracts are finalized with travelers , Space Adventures said . Suborbital space tourism is also set to take off soon . For $ 200,000 , Virgin Galactic passengers will undergo several days of training before taking a two-hour flight to the fringe of space - 70 miles above sea level . From there , the company says , passengers will experience the feeling of weightlessness and see a view of the Earth that spans a 1,000 miles in any direction . Will Whitehorn , president of Virgin Galactic , said the company has collected $ 35 million in deposits from 250 would-be space tourists . Another 80,000 have registered interest with the company , he said . `` That figure has been growing month by month the past year , especially as we get finished building the technology , '' said Whitehorn . Virgin will begin testing WhiteKnightTwo this summer , said Whitehorn . The carrier vehicle will ferry suborbital craft SpaceShipTwo , modeled after Ansari X Prize winner SpaceShipOne , 50,000 feet in the sky before releasing it . `` Once we have tested that sufficiently , we will put the spaceship underneath it , '' said Whitehorn . Other companies are also jumping in the suborbital space race . In March , California-based XCOR Aerospace announced plans to build the Lynx , a two-seater rocketship that will carry passengers up into the atmosphere for about $ 100,000 . The vehicle will be the size of a small business jet , capable of making several flights a day , the company said . And last year , European aerospace giant EADS announced plans for its Astrium space division to develop a line of suborbital jets to satisfy a space tourism market that it predicts could grow to as many as 15,000 passengers a year by 2020 . `` The market is there , '' said Robert Laine , chief technical officer of EADS Astrium . `` The question is how to build the planes that can satisfy that market and to understand what profits at the end we can make out of it . '' ... . Would you want to take a holiday in space ? Is it worth the cost ? Leave your views and comments in the Sound Off box below .", "question": "what is eads doing", "answer": "announced plans for its Astrium space division to develop a line of suborbital jets"}, {"story_text": "New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A New York judge Friday postponed a decision on a proposed $ 657 million settlement for people who became ill after working on the World Trade Center site after the 9/11 terrorist attacks . The settlement , announced Thursday , would cover about 10,000 plaintiffs , said Marc Bern , one of the lawyers representing the workers . The postponement appeared to take attorneys -- and Mayor Michael Bloomberg -- by surprise . Attorneys for both sides and the mayor earlier made statements assuming the proposal would be approved by U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein . The judge is particularly interested in making sure the attorneys ' cut of the settlement is equitable for all parties . `` This will not be a giveaway , '' Hellerstein said Friday . `` This will be a fair and just settlement . '' Christine LaSala , president of WTC Captive Insurance Co. , which announced the settlement , repeated after the judge 's announcement a statement issued Thursday night . `` This agreement enables workers and volunteers claiming injury from the WTC site operations to obtain compensation commensurate with the nature of their injuries and the strength of their claims , while offering added protection against possible future illness , '' she said . The agreement comes after six years of legal wrangling -- a sometimes excruciating wait for his clients , Bern said . Many of his clients worked rescuing victims from the terrorist attacks or removing debris after the World Trade Center toppled . After the work , some found their health deteriorated , with many suffering from asthma , other respiratory issues and blood cancer , Bern told CNN Radio . `` I am quite gratified that we been able to reach a settlement for the heroes of 9/11 , '' said Bern . `` The men and women who were exposed at the site have waited a long time for some type of resolution . '' The WTC Captive Insurance Co. announced the settlement on Thursday . `` This agreement enables workers and volunteers claiming injury from the WTC site operations to obtain compensation commensurate with the nature of their injuries and the strength of their claims , while offering added protection against possible future illness , '' the organization said in a statement . WTC Captive was created with a $ 1 billion FEMA grant and provides insurance coverage to the City of New York and its debris-removal contractors . In the aftermath of 9/11 , New York was unable to get adequate amounts of liability insurance for the rescue , recovery and debris-removal work done at the World Trade Center site . The settlement would provide a system to pay for the compensation of the injury claims made by workers . This would include construction workers , firefighters , police officers and other workers and volunteers . The settlement would also fund a special insurance policy , which provides additional compensation to any plaintiff contracting certain types of cancer in the future . The settlement agreement will be presented to a judge Friday morning who then could give preliminary approval of it by afternoon , Bern said . If the judge gives his OK , Bern 's law firm will send letters to the plaintiffs to tell them what money they are eligible for . `` The payments could range from thousands of dollars to nearly $ 2 million for clients , '' Bern said . In order to make a claim , plaintiffs will have to submit proof they were present and participated in the post-9 / 11 efforts . They will also have to present specific medical documentation , including a diagnosis confirming their illness or injury . New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said of the resolution , `` This settlement is a fair and reasonable resolution to a complex set of circumstances . Since September 11th , the city has moved aggressively to provide medical treatment to those who were present at Ground Zero , and we will continue our commitment to treatment and monitoring . '' A spokesman for the mayor declined further comment . After the 9/11 attacks , individuals who worked or volunteered in the rescue , recovery and debris-removal project were entitled to and have received free medical care , which has been funded by the City of New York and the federal government . Participating in the settlement would not deter access to that care . Former New York firefighter Kenny Specht told CNN 's Campbell Brown , `` You really ca n't put a price on your health , so I hope that this settlement was done the right way and I hope that it was done with people 's health and safety and future in mind . '' Specht , 37 , was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2008 . CNN 's Jamie Guzzardo and Patty Lane contributed to this report .", "question": "what is the settlement providing on ?", "answer": "provide a system to pay for the compensation of the injury claims made by workers"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Expressing hope that the future of Tibet and China will move beyond mistrust , the Dalai Lama accepted the Congressional Gold Medal from President Bush Wednesday during a ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda . `` I am deeply touched that this great honor has been given to me , a Buddhist monk born of a simple family , '' he said . Earlier , China slammed the United States for bestowing the nation 's highest civilian honor on the Dalai Lama , calling the ceremony an affront to the budding relations between the countries . But the Dalai Lama repeated his stance that he 's seeking a `` meaningful autonomy '' for the Tibetan people , not independence from China . `` Despite all this , Beijing continues to allege that my hidden agenda is a separation and restoration -LSB- of -RSB- Tibet 's old social political system . Such a notion is unfounded and untrue , '' he said . `` Much of the world is waiting to see how China 's concepts of harmonious society and peaceful rights would unfold . '' Though Bush said the ceremony was not meant to antagonize the Chinese , he made repeated references to religious oppression . `` Americans can not look to the plight of the religiously oppressed and close our eyes or turn away , '' Bush said . Calling the Dalai Lama a `` universal symbol of peace and tolerance , a shepherd to the faithful and a keeper of the flame for his people , '' Bush presented the medallion to the Dalai Lama . Watch actor Richard Gere explain the importance of the ceremony '' The spiritual leader grinned broadly , pulling the award from its case and showing it to the lawmakers with whom he shared the stage . Democratic and Republican leaders praised the Dalai Lama 's record of promoting peace and urged China to allow the return of the exiled leader . Bush also lauded the spiritual leader who as a boy kept a model of the Statue of Liberty by his bedside . The president met privately Tuesday with Tenzin Gyatso , the 14th dalai lama , in the White House . Before the Wednesday honor , Bush said he was attending the ceremony because he admires the Dalai Lama , the two of them both support religious freedom and because `` I like going to the gold medal ceremonies . '' He further said fostering religious freedom was in China 's best interests and that Beijing should meet with the Dalai Lama . `` If they were to sit down with the Dalai Lama , they would find him to be a man of peace and reconciliation , '' Bush said . China saw the ceremony as a political statement and believes the honor represents U.S. acquiescence to the Dalai Lama 's calls for Tibetan autonomy . Tibet , said Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao , is `` an inalienable part of China '' and Chinese-Tibetan affairs are strictly a matter of Chinese domestic policy . `` U.S. leaders meeting the Dalai -LSB- Lama -RSB- seriously violate the basic principles of international relations , '' Liu said . The Dalai Lama laughed off Chinese criticism of his visit , saying Tuesday in Washington , `` That always happens . '' The Congressional Gold Medal -- one of four honors Congress is doling out Wednesday -- is presented `` both for singular acts of exceptional service and for lifetime achievement . '' Past recipients include Mother Teresa , former South African President Nelson Mandela , former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and baseball and civil rights icon Jackie Robinson . White House spokesman Dana Perino said Bush considered the Dalai Lama `` a great spiritual leader . '' Bush , who has met with the Dalai Lama four times , told Chinese President Hu Jintao at a summit in Australia last month that he would be attending Wednesday 's ceremony , Perino said . She quickly dismissed the notion that the president was trying to make a statement by attending the ceremony . The White House is generally measured in its criticism of China as it seeks to manage a booming trade relationship and a desire to enlist Chinese cooperation on nuclear standoffs with North Korea and Iran . Beijing has claimed to be the legitimate and rightful government of Tibet since 1951 , the year after China invaded the then-independent state . Some say the claim does n't jibe with international law . Allegations abound that China has stifled Tibetans ' religious and other fundamental freedoms , sometimes violently . The Dalai Lama has led a government in exile from neighboring India for decades . In 1959 , the then-24-year-old Buddhist leader fled Tibet during a failed uprising against the Chinese . Perino said she did not think the meeting -- which the administration had worked to downplay -- would seriously affect U.S.-China relations . Added Bush on Wednesday , `` I do n't think it ever damages relations when an American president talks about that religious tolerance and religious freedom is good for a nation . I do this every time I meet with -LSB- Chinese leaders -RSB- . '' The promise of good intentions did not seem to assuage the Chinese government , who labeled the Dalai Lama 's work `` separatist activities . '' `` The words and deeds of the Dalai Lama in the past decades show he is a political refugee engaging in secessionist activities under the cloak of religion , '' the Foreign Ministry 's Liu said . Zhang Qingli , the Communist Party secretary of Tibet , had even harsher words for the Tibetan spiritual leader . `` He is a person who has tried to split the motherland , who lacks love for his home country , '' Zhang told reporters in Beijing . The Dalai Lama , who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 , has said he advocates autonomy for Tibet and is not calling for it to be a separate country . E-mail to a friend CNN 's Jaime FlorCruz and Lesa Jansen contributed to this report .", "question": "What did China say about the White House 's actions ?", "answer": "Beijing has claimed to be the legitimate and rightful government of Tibet since 1951"}, {"story_text": "ISLAMABAD , Pakistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Police tightened security at airports across Pakistan Thursday after receiving reports of a possible suicide attack at the international airport that serves Islamabad . Pakistan 's capital was rocked by a suicide attack on the city 's Marriott Hotel at the weekend . Officers emptied the parking lot at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport , on the outskirts of Islamabad , said Parvez George of the country 's Civil Aviation Authority . Flights were going out of the airport , but police cleared the terminal building of the large crowds that usually gather to see relatives arrive or depart , George said . Muhammad Asghar of Islamabad Police told CNN that authorities placed the airport on high alert after intelligence reports indicated it was under threat of an attack . The country 's capital city is on edge since a deadly blast Saturday night at the Marriott Hotel . The explosion killed more than 50 people , including two U.S. military personnel and the Czech ambassador to Pakistan . The bombing wounded more than 250 and sparked a fire that left the hotel in ruins . On Thursday , the Danish intelligence service said one of its employees , Karsten Krabbe , was among the victims of the blast . Krabbe , a 53-year-old married father of two , was a security adviser at the Danish Embassy in Islamabad , which was targeted by a suicide bomber in June . That attack killed six people and wounded more than 20 . `` Karsten Krabbe lost his life in a cowardly and ruthless terror attack , '' the Danish intelligence service said in a statement . Reacting to the Saturday 's attack , the U.S. government barred employees from major hotels in several Pakistani cities , the U.S. Embassy in Pakistan said . The Embassy in Islamabad added Lahore on Wednesday to a list of three other cities in which U.S. personnel are no longer allowed to visit or stay in major hotels . The Embassy took the measures because of general security concerns , said spokesman Lou Fintor Thursday . He did not comment on a specific threat . In addition to the hotel restriction , the Embassy temporarily suspended visa and other routine consular services for Thursday and Friday . It said it will make available emergency services for U.S. citizens who need passports or are arrested . And an advisory reminded Americans in Pakistan to avoid crowds and demonstrations and to keep a `` low profile . '' It said Americans should vary times and routes while traveling to avoid setting patterns . And it said a travel warning issued on August 7 still stands : U.S. citizens should defer nonessential travel to Pakistan due to continuing security concerns . -- CNN 's Zein Basravi and Reza Sayah , and Journalist Nasir Habib contributed to this report", "question": "What did intelligence reports reveal ?", "answer": "possible suicide attack at the international airport that serves Islamabad"}, {"story_text": "LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- British TV channels could advertise abortion services for the first time under new advertising rules proposed Thursday by an ad industry group . The new proposals will also allow condoms to be advertised more widely on television . The Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice , the industry body responsible for writing and enforcing advertising rules in Britain , said the commercials would be for pregnancy advisory services that give information about a range of options to pregnant women , including abortion . If an organization does not offer information about abortion , it would have to make that clear in the ad , BCAP spokeswoman Lynsay Taffe said . Abortion clinics , which require referrals from doctors or hospitals , would not be allowed to advertise under the proposed rules , Taffe said . There would be no restrictions on when such ads could air on British television , she said , but programmers would have to keep the sensitive topic in mind and not schedule the ads around religious programs , for example . `` It 's a sensitive product , so it would have to be scheduled sensitively , '' Taffe told CNN . The proposal is among a number of updates to current advertising standards that the Committee for Advertising Practice and BCAP , its broadcasting arm , published Thursday after an 18-month review . `` Each year the British public -LRB- sees -RRB- millions of advertisements , many of which are memorable , '' the committee said . `` The advertising codes aim to make sure that they are memorable for the right reasons . '' The public now has until June 19 to comment on the proposals before they come into force , likely in 2010 , the committee said . The new proposals also contain a change on advertising condoms on television . Under current rules , condoms generally can not be advertised on TV before 9 p.m. in order to protect younger viewers , the committee said . New rules would relax the restrictions on advertising condoms , with the only requirement that they not be shown around programs intended for children younger than 10 . The change came after Joyce Gould , a member of the House of Lords , requested the change and noted that Britain had the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Europe along with spiraling rates of sexually transmitted diseases , the committee said . Gould reported a survey that showed young people believed TV was one of the most effective ways of encouraging them to use condoms . `` The presence of condom advertisements on television continues to be a subject of complaint to the -LRB- Advertising Standards Authority -RRB- , but numbers are very low , '' the committee said . `` Nevertheless , BCAP has to balance public sensitivities against a public health problem that is clearly urgent . ''", "question": "What did industry group say commercials would be services for ?", "answer": "could advertise abortion services for the first time"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- For 20 years , it has circled quietly above us , capturing a dark , secret world billions of light years away . From black holes to primordial galaxies , the Hubble Space Telescope has provided out-of-this-world images of space where no human has ever gone . NASA , the European Space Agency and the Space Telescopic Science Institute celebrated Hubble 's 20th year in orbit on Saturday by releasing another stunning photo caught by the iconic telescope . The striking color shot shows a small portion of the Carina Nebula , `` one of the largest seen star-birth regions in the galaxy , '' according to NASA . Former NASA astronaut John Grunsfeld , who flew on three service missions to Hubble , said that inside those newborn stars `` are the chemical elements ... that make up people . '' Time.com : Greatest hits from Hubble `` The carbon and oxygen in our bodies was all built inside of stars , '' he said , `` Hubble is answering fundamental scientific questions that in the end tell us about our earth , our solar system and ultimately how we were formed . '' The photo , captured February 1 and 2 , is one of more than 500,000 images that Hubble has taken -- captivating scientists and astronomy enthusiasts alike -- since it was launched into orbit by the space shuttle Discovery on April 24 , 1990 . `` I never would have believed in 1990 that the Hubble would have turned out this great , '' said Ed Weiler , associate administrator of NASA 's Science Mission Directorate . `` I knew it was going to be great , but it has just exceeded all of our expectations . '' Among its most famous findings , Hubble has : -- Helped astronomers discover dark energy , which exerts a repulsive force that works against gravity ; -- Helped determine the age of the universe -LRB- about 13.75 billion years old -RRB- ; -- Acted as a virtual time machine , providing glimpses into how the universe might have looked millions of years ago and helping shed light on how the giant galaxies we see today were formed ; -- Helped identify the atmospheric makeup of planets beyond our solar system . Weiler cites supermassive black holes , the largest type of black hole , as another of Hubble 's most prominent discoveries . `` When Hubble was launched in 1990 , supermassive black holes were a fantasy , a theory -- something you saw on ` Star Trek , ' '' Weiler said . `` One of our goals was to ... find at least one and prove it exists . `` As it turns out , Hubble surprised us , '' he said , `` Not only did it find one but it basically showed us that supermassive black holes are pervasive throughout the universe ... and they clearly play a role in the evolution of a universe . '' Despite its age , Hubble is 100 times more powerful today than at the time of its launch , NASA says , thanks to its most recent visit by astronauts , including Grunsfeld , on a service mission last May . `` We had hoped to get 10 to 15 years out of it with frequent shuttle visits every two and a half to three years , '' Weiler said . `` As it turns out , we 're now 20 years into this program , and thanks to the work of John and the crew in the last mission , we 're looking forward to at least another five years and maybe even another seven , eight or nine or 10 years more . ''", "question": "What did Hubble help to determine ?", "answer": "the age of the universe"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- Mental Floss -RRB- -- Behind every good war are many good women . Using their feminine -LRB- and in at least one case masculine -RRB- wiles , the following five spies would make James Bond proud . Noor Inayat Khan was posthumously awarded the George Cross for her spy service . 1 . Mata Hari While Margaretha Geertruida Zelle MacLeod -LRB- 1876 -- 1917 -RRB- may not have caused World War I , she sure as heck kept it going . Having spent time in Java with her husband , Captain Campbell MacLeod , Margaretha returned to Holland and sued for divorce . To make ends meet she took up exotic dancing and the name Mata Hari -LRB- meaning `` the light of day '' in Malay -RRB- . With her sensual performances becoming the attraction of the major European cities came the men and the gifts for her favors . Many of these favors came from royalty and high-ranking French and German military officers . As World War I progressed , both sides became suspicious that Mata was spying for the other side . The French eventually put her on trial and , although the charges were never proven , Mata Hari was convicted of espionage and was executed by a firing squad on October 15 , 1917 . Playing the seductress up until the end , Mata refused a blindfold , smiled , and blew a kiss to the firing squad as the fatal shots were fired . Mental Floss : When a criminal survives execution 2 . Noor Inayat Khan Khan was born in 1914 and at a young age moved with her family first to England and then to France . In 1940 , Khan , along with her mother and sister , escaped back to England just before France surrendered to Germany . While in England she joined the Women 's Auxiliary Air Force -LRB- WAAF -RRB- , but her ability to speak fluent French soon caught the attention of the Special Operations group and Khan agreed to become a spy . Khan was flown to Le Mans , where she teamed up with other female spies and traveled to Paris , France . There they joined the French Resistance Prosper Network . Soon after their arrival , the network was infiltrated and many were arrested . Khan was ordered to return to England , but instead she stayed on and continued to pass information on to England . Eventually she was arrested again and interrogated by the Gestapo . When she refused to speak , she was sent to a prison in Germany and then to the Dachau concentration camp . On September 13 , 1944 , Khan and three other female British spies were executed by the Nazi SS . In 1949 , Khan was posthumously awarded the George Cross . 3 . Belle Boyd -LRB- aka `` La Belle Rebelle '' -RRB- Born Isabelle Boyd in Martinsburg , Virginia , in 1844 , the beautiful Belle soon became the star attraction in Washington , D.C. , social circles prior to the beginning of the Civil War . With the outbreak of the war , she returned to Martinsburg . When the Union soldiers occupied the city , Belle mixed with the officers and soon gathered information on troop movements , which she passed on to the Confederate forces . However , she is probably best known for warning Stonewall Jackson that the Union intended to blow up all the bridges around Martinsburg . With this information , Jackson , with a small number of troops , was able to surprise the Union troops and drive them from the area . In 1864 , Confederate president Jefferson Davis asked Belle to carry letters for him to England . The Union Navy captured her ship , but the officer in charge fell in love with Belle and let her escape . The officer , Lieutenant Samuel Harding Jr. , after being courtmartialed and discharged from the Navy , traveled to England , where he married Belle . After the war , Boyd toured the United States as an actress under the stage name of La Belle Rebelle . 4 . Elizabeth Van Lew Crazy Bet , as she was known , was born in Richmond , Virginia , in 1818 but educated at a Quaker school in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . After developing a hatred for slavery , Elizabeth returned to Richmond and freed all her family 's slaves . She also went so far as finding where her freed slaves ' relatives were and purchased and freed them also . After the Civil War started , Elizabeth asked to visit Union prisoners being held captive in Richmond . The Union prisoners gave her information , which she then passed on to the North . Among the slaves she freed was Mary Elizabeth Bowser , whom Van Lew got a job as a house servant in the home of Jefferson Davis . This allowed Bowser and Van Lew to collect and pass on information directly from the Confederate president 's mansion . Elizabeth effectively used the Crazy Bet moniker to make the residents of Richmond think she was mentally ill . She would wear old clothes and bonnets and talk to herself . Because of this , most people thought that her Northern sympathies were just a part of her craziness . Mental Floss : Confederacy 's plan to conquer Latin America After the war , President Grant named Elizabeth the postmaster for Richmond . When the citizens of Richmond found out that Crazy Bet was an act , they shunned her . However , at her death , the state of Massachusetts placed a memorial marker on her grave . 5 . Sarah Emma Edmonds -LRB- or Was It Frank Thompson ? -RRB- Born in 1841 in New Brunswick , Canada , Sarah ran away from home in her early teens . In order to survive she became an itinerant Bible salesman , by calling herself Frank Thompson and dressing like a man . In 1861 , Frank -LRB- Sarah -RRB- enlisted in the Second Michigan Infantry and over the next two years not only fought in a number of Civil War battles , but also served as a spy for the Union Army . Solders in her unit called Frank `` our woman '' because of his feminine mannerisms and his extremely small boot size . However , none of her comrades ever figured out that Frank was really Sarah . Mental Floss : Celebrity or look-alike ? This boded well for her spying , where she dressed as a young boy serving in Confederate camps , as an immigrant Irish peddler and , most interestingly , as a woman . In 1863 , Sarah caught malaria and deserted the army out of fear that hospitalization would reveal her true identity . In 1884 , though , Sarah applied for and was awarded a veteran 's pension in which the secretary of war acknowledged that Sarah was a female soldier who had rendered faithful services to the ranks . For more mental_floss articles , visit mentalfloss.com", "question": "Why did shepretend to be crazy ?", "answer": "make the residents of Richmond think she was mentally ill"}, {"story_text": "Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- State visits to the White House are full of show and symbolism , and Tuesday 's visit by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is no exception . But Singh 's visit , the first state visit hosted by the Obama administration , reflects India 's growing political and economic importance to the United States and the deepening partnership between Washington and New Delhi . The 2005 civil nuclear cooperation deal between the two countries symbolized a new status in U.S.-India relations . But that deal , yet to be ratified by the Indian parliament , was not in a vacuum . The Bush administration followed that up with agreements for increased cooperation on security , science and technology and education . Singh 's visit this week will build on that , with announcements expected on a range of areas from the economy and defense to climate change and energy . India is a fellow democracy , and there is a strong Indian-American community in the U.S. . So as it rises to power , India is a natural U.S. ally . On every big global issue today -- from the economy to climate change to fighting terrorism and curbing nuclear proliferation -- Washington needs New Delhi 's cooperation . India is one of the biggest donors in Afghanistan , with $ 1.2 billion in aid . Although this has been met with suspicion in Pakistan , it has helped the United States , sharing some of the burden of stabilizing Afghanistan and providing civilian support . India is also considered a critical U.S. partner in dealing with other instability in the region , in places like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka . Even as the U.S. deepens its cooperation with China on global issues , both Singh 's government and the Obama administration want to manage China 's meteoric rise . Strong U.S.-India ties help both countries ensure that the `` Asian century '' is not merely the `` Chinese century . '' India has also become a major trading partner with the U.S. , with $ 61 billion in trade in 2007 . The U.S. is India 's second-largest trading partner . And India is a major exporter of technology software and services to the U.S. , and that 's expected to increase as India strengthens its role as a global leader in technology . The relationship is not without its irritants , however , the biggest one being India 's nuclear neighbor , Pakistan . India believes the U.S. has failed to curb Islamabad 's backing of anti-India extremists based in Pakistan , and tensions between India and Pakistan remain high , especially with Pakistan 's slow progress on the investigation into last year 's Mumbai attack that killed 166 people . Before coming to Washington , Singh said that Pakistani objectives in Afghanistan are n't necessarily those of the U.S. Pakistan has long seen instability in Afghanistan as critical to its war strategy against India . India is also nervous about a possible integration of some Taliban into power in Afghanistan . Climate change is another point of friction . The U.S. wants India , one of world 's the largest emitters of greenhouse gases , to accept limits on its carbon emissions . India maintains it is still a developing country and wants developed nations , like the U.S. , to assume the lion 's share of burden in dealing with climate change . Another potential difference looms over Iran . India has been careful not to support Iran 's government , but if U.S. diplomacy with Iran fails , it remains to be seen if New Delhi will support tougher sanctions if the U.S. decides to go that route . As India 's economy grows , so will its capability to be one of the U.S. ' great partners . But as its international position strengthens , New Delhi 's interests may not always be aligned with Washington 's . Obama must work to convince India that the U.S. sees it as an important ally and that its rise to power is in the U.S. ' strategic interest . The symbolism of giving Singh the administration 's first state visit will be a good start .", "question": "What did the visit by the Indian PM reflect ?", "answer": "India 's growing political and economic importance to the United States and the deepening partnership between Washington and New Delhi"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Hundred 's of fans and former teammates of Robert Enke gathered to lay flowers and light candles outside of Hannover 96 's Niedersachsen Stadion after the club 's German goalkeeper was struck and killed by a train on Tuesday , in what police called an apparent suicide . Enke , 32 , died around 6:25 p.m. -LRB- 12:25 p.m. ET -RRB- , Hannover police press officer Stefan Wittke said in a statement . `` Preliminary police investigations indicate a suicide , '' Wittke said . Police did not elaborate on what evidence they had that pointed to suicide , but Enke 's close friend and advisor Jorg Neblung told the official Web site of football 's world governing body FIFA : `` I can confirm that it was suicide . Robert took his own life shortly before six o'clock . '' The team 's official Web site has been converted into a single-page memorial . Enke captained Hannover 96 , a team who currently lie tenth in Germany 's Bundesliga top division , and had been capped by his national side eight times after making his debut aged 29 . The shot-stopper had also appeared for teams including Carl Zeiss Jena , Borussia Monchengladbach , Benfica , Barcelona , Fenerbahce and Tenerife in Spain . His teammates were stunned by news of his death . `` We are in a state of shock , '' said team manager Oliver Bierhoff in a statement from the German Football Federation . `` It is beyond words . '' The German Football Federation -LRB- DFB -RRB- said Enke always said he wanted to play for the national team at the 2010 World Cup . Soccer commentator and journalist Rafael Honigstein told CNN International that Enke was on course to be picked as the number-one choice for the team . Enke had missed Germany 's last four matches because of a bacterial infection , but had recently returned to action with Hannover . `` The leadership of the German national team never had any doubt that he was important for the team both as a goalkeeper and as a human being , '' the DFB statement said . Enke is survived by his wife and eight-month-old daughter , who the couple adopted . The couple 's two-year-old daughter died in 2006 from a heart condition , and Honigstein said the loss of his child had taken a toll on Enke . `` It 's been well documented that he had a tough time , '' Honigstein said . `` People knew it was a terrible , terrible tragedy for him . '' `` I do n't know why and how this happened , '' said Martin Kind , the chairman of Hannover 96 . `` It is a total catastrophe . I am finding it hard to understand . All I can say for sure is that it had nothing to do with football . '' Fellow players said they believed that Enke had been suffering depression . `` He was unstable , '' said Mr Kind . `` But he kept it under wraps . '' The coach of Germany 's national team , Joachim Lowe , had been preparing his squad for their friendly game against Chile this weekend . The DFB have not yet confirmed whether the game would still be played . A press conference is due to be held by the DFB at 1130 GMT , while Hannover 96 will speak to the media at 1200 GMT on Wednesday . CNN 's Frederik Pleitgen contributed to this report .", "question": "Who is Robert Enke", "answer": "German goalkeeper"}, {"story_text": "LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The British government announced Friday that more than 4,000 former Gurkha soldiers are entitled to settle in Britain , but Gurkha supporters quickly denounced the measure as meaningless . Former Gurkha solider Tulbahadur Pun was awarded Britain 's highest honor for bravery , the Victoria Cross . Supporters have fought for years for more rights for the Gurkhas , Nepalese soldiers who have been part of the British Army for nearly 200 years . Gurkhas have fought alongside the British Armed Forces in every conflict in that period , including both world wars , and are known for their ferocity and pride . Despite their centuries of service , Gurkhas were not given the right to settle in the United Kingdom until 2004 . And even then the order applied only to those discharged after the British handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997 , when the Gurkhas Brigade moved from Hong Kong to Britain . The government 's announcement Friday applies to all Gurkhas , including those who left the army before 1997 , if they meet one of five criteria . It also says around 6,000 of the Gurkhas ' dependents may be able to apply for settlement in Britain as well . `` The guidance honors the service , commitment , and gallantry of those who served with the Gurkhas Brigade , '' Border and Immigration Minister Phil Woolas said in a written statement . The Gurkha Justice Campaign , however , said the government 's criteria for the Gurkhas ' resettlement are unrealistic and too difficult for many of the soldiers to meet . `` Only a tiny fraction of the Gurkhas who retired before 1997 will win settlement rights under the new policy , '' the campaign said . `` The campaign for full Gurkha justice will now be taken back into Parliament and the courts . The government needs to know they will have a huge campaign against them who will commit to righting this wrong . '' The High Court ruled last September that the 1997 cut-off date was fair , but added that caseworkers needed revised guidance on deciding the cases of Gurkhas discharged before that date . Under the guidance , Gurkhas discharged before 1997 must meet one of five criteria to be considered for resettlement in Britain : \u2022 Have three years ' continuous residence in Britain , before or after service ; \u2022 Have close family settled in the United Kingdom ; \u2022 Have an award for gallantry , leadership , or bravery while in the brigade ; \u2022 Have a chronic medical condition attributable to or made worse by army service ; \u2022 Have served for 20 or more years . Actress Joanna Lumley , whose father served in the Gurkhas while she was a girl , has been an outspoken campaigner for their rights . She said the new criteria are harsher than she expected . `` They 've given five bullet points which virtually can not be met by the ordinary Gurkha soldier , '' Lumley told reporters Friday . `` This one page of criteria has taken the government four months to come up with . It has made me ashamed of our administration . '' She said most Gurkhas are allowed to stay in the United Kingdom for only two years , so three years of continuous residence is not possible . Most Gurkhas , she said , also have not been allowed to settle in Britain with their families . The requirement for having won an award discriminates against the ordinary soldier who has no award , she said . `` This sends out not only to the Gurkha soldiers , but to our own men fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq , the most appalling message : that unless you have been awarded a medal for gallantry , you 're not a real soldier , '' Lumley said . Only officers are allowed to serve 20 or more years , she said , so most riflemen will not qualify for the service requirement . And proving that an injury is related to army service will be nearly impossible for most , she said . `` How on earth are men who were injured in the 1940s , '50s , '60s going to be able to prove that their long-term chronic illness is attributable to injures received during their service ? '' she said . A Home Office spokesman said the government believes hundreds of Gurkhas will still be eligible to settle in Britain . `` We would not accept that , '' the spokesman said of Lumley 's criticisms . `` We would say that the criteria as we see it is fair and balanced . '' The Gurkha brigade originated in the 19th century with Nepalese soldiers who impressed British imperial troops with their ferocity and military ability . The first Gurkha units were formed in 1815 . They saw action in both world wars and were fundamental to the British military maintaining control of India in the 1800s . Today there are 3,400 troops in the Gurkha brigade , operating from bases in Great Britain . Most recently , Gurkha troops were used in the Persian Gulf War and the Balkan conflicts .", "question": "What are the Gurkhas made up of ?", "answer": "Nepalese soldiers"}, {"story_text": "PARIS , France -- World number three Novak Djokovic crashed out of the Paris Masters after being trounced in his opening match by veteran Frenchman Fabrice Santoro on Wednesday . Fabrice Santoro returns the ball during his shock second-round victory against Novak Djokovic . The 34-year-old Santoro , who beat world No. 5 Andy Roddick at the Lyon Grand Prix last week , again rose to the occasion in front of his home fans as he stormed to a 6-3 6-2 second-round victory against the Serb . It was the first time the two players had met , with Djokovic making his first outing since losing to David Nalbandian in the semifinals of the Madrid Masters two weeks ago . Djokovic , like the American Roddick , has already qualified for the season-ending Masters Cup and will now have extra time to prepare for the event in Shanghai starting next month . The 20-year-old said he was struggling following dental surgery to remove two wisdom teeth . `` I could n't give my 100 percent , not even 30 percent of my possibilities , '' Djokobvic said . `` He deserved to win . I 'm still on medications . I did n't practise for a whole week , I only started practising two days ago . Physically , I 'm not feeling at all good . '' The result is a boost for rising British star Andy Murray , who earlier kept alive his hopes of an unexpected place at the Masters Cup by winning his first match in Paris and was expected to face Djokovic . The 20-year-old , who has missed three months this season due to a wrist injury , beat Jarkko Nieminen of Finland 7-6 -LRB- 7-5 -RRB- 6-3 to progress into the third round . The 15th seed is seeking to overtake Tommy Haas , who holds the eighth and final place ahead of the showpiece event in Shanghai . Murray , who trails the German by just three points , has not beaten Djokovic in three meetings so far but he has never played his unseeded next opponent Santoro . Ninth seed Haas , who has struggled with illness and injury this year , will play Djokovic 's compatriot Janko Tipsarevic in the second round . Murray , who won his second title this year at the St Petersburg Open last Sunday , made a confident start against Nieminen and showed little sign of the stiff back he suffered after a minor car crash on Monday . He held his serve to love against a player who was beaten in the final of the Swiss Indoors event by Roger Federer last weekend , but then struggled for his best form as the first set went to a tiebreak . The Scot was broken just one point after having a winner overturned following an on-court appeal , but he leveled immediately and then broke Nieminen again to win a third successive game before serving out for victory . Defending champin and fourth seed Nikolay Davydenko , one of six players to have already qualified for Shanghai , beat Argentina 's Juan Del Potro 7-6 -LRB- 7-3 -RRB- 6-1 in his opening match on Wednesday . The Russian , fined for `` lack of effort '' after his defeat by Croatian qualifier Marian Cilic in St Petersburg , will next face Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus in round three after Baghdatis shocked 13th seed Ivan Ljubicic . Ivo Karlovic broke Roger Federer 's serve for the first time in his life , but the top seed and world number one progressed in a late match on Wednesday . Croatian Karlovic , the tallest man in tennis at 2.08 metres , went down 6-4 4-6 6-3 as Federer played for the first time at the Bercy event since 2003 . Federer had gone 67 service games over four previous matches without a loss before Karlovic ended his duck to claim their second set . But the Swiss top seed got straight back in harness , breaking to start the final set and rolling ahead against a man he had just beaten days earlier in the Basel semifinals . World numbet two Rafael Nadal also reached the third round after thrashing Italy 's Filippo Volandri 6-3 6-1 . The Spaniard will next play Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland , who won by the same scoreline against 16th seed Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina . E-mail to a friend", "question": "Who are the top seeds ?", "answer": "Roger Federer 's"}, {"story_text": "LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A 47-year-old charity worker who says she has never been kissed is now a YouTube sensation after a singing performance that wowed the notoriously harsh talent judge Simon Cowell . The YouTube video of Susan Boyle 's performance has had more than 5 million hits . Susan Boyle , from West Lothian in Scotland , appeared on the television show `` Britain 's Got Talent '' last weekend with an inauspicious start . Slightly plump and with short brown curly hair , Boyle stood somewhat uncomfortably in the middle of the stage wearing a gold lace sheath . She told the judges and the audience of the show that she was single , she lived with her cat , Pebbles , and she had never been kissed . `` I 'm trying to be a professional singer , '' Boyle asserted , as the audience laughed . `` I 'm going to make that audience rock . '' When she added that she wanted to be as famous as Elaine Paige , who 's been called the `` first lady of British musical theater , '' some members of the audience snickered and rolled their eyes . But after Boyle sang the first few notes of `` I Dreamed a Dream '' from the musical `` Les Miserables , '' the audience erupted in wild cheers and applause , and two of the three judges ' jaws dropped . The applause lasted the length of her performance , which ended with the crowd on its feet . Cowell , who also serves as a judge on `` American Idol '' and who 's known for his stinging criticism of those he deems to have no talent , said Boyle 's performance was fantastic . `` I knew the minute you walked out on that stage that we were going to hear something extraordinary , '' he proclaimed . His fellow judge , Piers Morgan , said it was `` the biggest surprise I have had in three years on this show . '' `` When you stood there , with that cheeky grin , and said , ' I want to be like Elaine Paige ' everyone was laughing at you . No one is laughing now . That was stunning . An incredible performance , '' Morgan said , adding he was reeling from shock . Amanda Holden , the third judge , had tears in her eyes and described Boyle 's singing as `` a privilege to hear . '' A clip of her performance on YouTube.com has had more than 5 million hits , and many fans say they were moved to tears by the story . Boyle said after the show that she felt `` bloody fantastic . '' Each of the three judges voted `` yes '' to Boyle 's return to the actual competition round of the show . The performance this weekend came during the auditions .", "question": "Who is Susan Boyle ?", "answer": "A 47-year-old charity worker"}, {"story_text": "ROCKY MOUNT , North Carolina -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Authorities in North Carolina have jailed a suspect in the slaying of one of five women whose bodies have been found since 2005 in remote areas outside Rocky Mount , the Edgecombe County sheriff said Tuesday . Jackie Nikelia Thorpe 's body was found along Seven Bridges Road in August 2007 . Sheriff James Knight said Antwan Maurice Pittman , 31 , was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Taraha Shenice Nicholson , whose remains were found in a wooded area on March 7 . Nicholson was 29 when she was reported missing on February 22 , Knight said at a news conference in Tarboro . Pittman , of Rocky Point , was being held without bond . All five of the slain women were African-American , and authorities said they were from an area frequented by prostitutes . Four of them lived in Rocky Mount , which is about 55 miles northeast of the state capital , Raleigh . Michael Teague , North Carolina 's former top forensic psychologist , told CNN 's David Mattingly he believes the deaths are the work of a serial killer . `` Just the fact that the bodies have been found close together would really argue for a serial killer , '' Teague said . He also said he believes the killer is someone with a lot in common with his victims . `` Their economic level , their background , the same race . So I think it 's someone who would fit very easily within the environment , '' the psychologist said . The body of the first woman was discovered in May 2005 . All the remains were found near the Seven Bridges Road , which snakes northeast from Rocky Mount into rural Edgecombe County . The probe into the deaths of the other four women is ongoing , said Knight , who is leading a joint investigative task force of his deputies , Rocky Mount police and the state Bureau of Investigation . Representatives from the other two groups also attended the news conference . `` The investigators with the task force have worked countless hours , days and nights in order to bring this case to the point where it is now , '' said Renee Robinson , special agent with SBI . `` We are following up on leads as they develop . '' Rocky Mount Police Chief John Manley Jr. said the task force also was investigating the cases of three other missing women and a death in Rocky Mount . He has said it appears the women `` suffered a similar death , '' but authorities have not divulged further details . They did tell CNN that two of the victims were strangled , and one was stabbed and beaten . Manley identified the four women whose bodies were found as : \u2022 Melody Wiggins , 29 , whose body was found May 29 , 2005 . \u2022 Jackie Nikelia Thorpe , 35 , whose body was found August 17 , 2007 , behind a house on Seven Bridges Road . \u2022 Ernestine Battle , 50 , whose remains were found in a wooded area along the road on March 13 , 2008 . \u2022 Jarneice Latonya Hargrove , 31 , whose skeletal remains were found June 29 , 2009 in woods off the road .", "question": "What was found since 2005 ?", "answer": "five women whose bodies have been"}, {"story_text": "NAIROBI , Kenya -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Pirates who hijacked a crude oil tanker off the coast of Kenya are approaching a Somali port , the U.S. Navy says . An undated photo of the Sirius Star in South Korean waters . The Sirius Star -- a crude `` super tanker '' flagged in Liberia and owned by the Saudi Arabian-based Saudi Aramco company -- was attacked on Saturday more than 450 nautical miles southeast of Mombasa , Kenya . The crew of 25 , including British , Croatian , Polish , Filipino and Saudi nationals , are reported to be safe . U.S. Navy Fifth Fleet Cmdr. Jane Campbell said the super tanker weighs more than 300,000 metric tons and `` is more than three times the size of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier . '' Oil industry insiders say a tanker of this size can carry up to 2 million barrels of oil , and the ship 's operator , Dubai-based Vela International Marine Ltd , says it is fully laden . A U.S. Navy spokesman said the tanker is approaching Eyl , Somalia , on the Indian Ocean coast . It is routine procedure for pirates to take hijacked ships to shore , where they will keep them while they discuss negotiations . A multinational naval force including vessels from the U.S. , the UK and Russia has been patrolling the Indian Ocean waters seas near the Gulf of Aden , which connects the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea , following a sharp increase in pirate attacks in the region . `` It was attacked more than 450 nautical offshore of Mombasa . This means that the pirates are now operating in an area of over 1.1 million square miles . This is a measure of the determination of the pirates and ... a measure of how lucrative piracy could become , '' Campbell said . Campbell said the Navy does not expect to dispatch a vessel to aide the super tanker because it does not have dangerous weapons aboard like the MV Faina , a Ukrainian ship loaded with arms that was seized by pirates on September 25 . The UK Foreign Office confirmed two Britons were aboard and said it was seeking more information about the incident . South Korean officials said on Sunday that armed gunmen hijacked a Japanese freighter and its 23-member crew off the coast of Somalia . The hijacking came as the Korean government was considering sending a warship to join those of other countries to combat piracy in the area . A Russian patrol ship also thwarted an attack on a Saudi vessel . Eleven vessels are currently being held by pirates hoping to secure ransoms for their release , according to The Associated Press . They include the MV Faina , which was hijacked along with 20 crew and a cargo of weapons and T-72 tanks . Ninety percent of ships transiting the perilous seas are using a guarded corridor and there have been no hijackings inside the zone since it was set up on August 22 , Danish Commodore Per Bigum Christensen told AP last week . Around 20,000 oil tankers , freighters and merchant vessels pass along the crucial shipping route each year . `` Our presence in the region is helping deter and disrupt criminal attacks off the Somali coast , but the situation with the Sirius Star clearly indicates the pirates ' ability to adapt their tactics and methods of attack '' said U.S. Vice Admiral Bill Gortney , commander of the Combined Maritime Forces . `` Piracy is an international crime that threatens global commerce . Shipping companies have to understand that naval forces can not be everywhere . Self protection measures are the best way to protect their vessels , their crews , and their cargo . '' CNN 's David McKenzie contributed to this report", "question": "Where have pirate attacks increased ?", "answer": "Indian Ocean waters seas near the Gulf of Aden"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Salvadoran immigrant suspected in the 2001 slaying of Washington intern Chandra Levy told at least two people he killed her , according to an affidavit filed in the case . Ingmar Guandique is serving a 10-year sentence for two assaults in the park where Chandra Levy 's body was found . Ingmar Guandique , 27 , also kept a magazine photo of Levy in his prison cell , stated the affidavit detailing evidence supporting a warrant for his arrest for first-degree murder . Guandique is in prison in California for two assault convictions . Guandique boasted of his ties to the violent Salvadoran gang Mara Salvatrucha , or MS-13 , and told witnesses that he was known as `` Chuckie '' -- the name of a demonic doll in a series of horror movies -- because he had a reputation for `` killing and chopping up people , '' the affidavit states . D.C. Metro police and federal prosecutors released the affidavit on Tuesday , announcing they would charge Guandique with first-degree murder in the Levy case . He has not been charged with any other slayings . Watch the police announce arrest '' The affidavit revealed that Levy , 25 , fought for her life , scratching her attacker on his face and giving him a `` fat lip . '' Guandique said he received the injuries in a fight with his girlfriend . But the girlfriend later told police that while Guandique struck and bit her at times , she never hit him , the document says . Guandique is serving concurrent 10-year sentences in connection with attacks on two other joggers in the park during the summer of 2001 . He told probation officials the attacks were motivated by robbery , but no valuables were taken from either victim . Guandique was arrested after the second attack -- exactly two months after Levy 's slaying . D.C. Metro police began to take a hard second look at him in 2008 , the affidavit shows . He has repeatedly denied to authorities that he killed Levy , and his public defenders have cautioned against a rush to judgment , citing what they called flaws in the investigation . The affidavit details a case built largely on circumstantial evidence collected over the eight years since Levy disappeared , apparently while jogging along the Western Ridge trail in Washington 's Rock Creek Park . It portrays Guandique as an opportunistic attacker who came up behind female joggers , grabbing them as they were tiring and becoming winded . The affidavit includes highlights from interviews with a dozen witnesses , who are not identified by name and are instead given numbers . One witness , who frequently exchanged letters with the suspect , told police Guandique had told him as early as 2003 that he killed a young woman in the park . During a taped 2008 phone conversation with the witness , `` Guandique acknowledged that he had told W9 about the ` girl who 's dead , '' ' the affidavit says . Another witness told police that Guandique said he and two male teenagers were sitting on a bench in a park smoking marijuana laced with cocaine when a woman with dark , thick hair jogged by . The witness said Guandique thought she `` looked good '' and told the two teens that he was going to `` get her . '' Guandique told the witness that the three followed her along a path , then grabbed her and forced her off the trail . When she started screaming , he grabbed her by the neck and choked her to death , so that other people in the park would not hear her cries for help . It is not clear from the affidavit whether the two teens Guandique said were with him actually exist . Police have said no other arrests are imminent , but the investigation is continuing . Timeline of Levy 's disappearance '' Levy 's skull was found in the park on May 22 , 2002 -- more than a year after she disappeared . A search turned up other remains , as well as clothing later identified as hers strewn down the side of a ravine . Her running shoes were unlaced . He clothes were turned inside out , the pants knotted in tight restraints around her legs . `` It appears that Guandique wanted Ms. Levy naked and incapacitated , '' states the affidavit , signed by D.C. Metro Det. Todd Williams . Also among the witnesses are two women who were attacked in Rock Creek Park during the summer of 2001 , along with a woman who narrowly escaped her attacker at about 2 p.m. on May 1 , 2001 -- about the same time Levy is believed to have been jogging in the park . All three identified Guandique from photographs as the man who stalked them in Rock Creek Park . `` I do not doubt that he purposely stalked me as a hunter tracks his prey , '' one of the victims told police , according to the affidavit . The other victim described him as `` a bold and practiced attacker , '' the affidavit said . `` He waited until he thought I was fatigued from jogging up a hill and purposefully selected a secluded spot right next to a deep ravine . I fear for other women who may appear to be more vulnerable than I did . '' Guandique also allegedly described his methods to one of the witnesses in whom he confided , according to the affidavit . `` Guandique said he would hide on a dirt path and wait for the girl to walk by . He would then lasso the girl around the neck and tie her hands and feet together behind her back to prevent her from scratching or kicking him , '' the affidavit quotes the witness as saying . It continues : `` After the girl was tied up , he would rape her . Guandique admitted that he did not always know whether his victims were still alive at the end of the attack , but that it did not matter , because they would be eaten by the animals , like coyotes and vultures . '' Police visited Guandique at a federal prison in California in November , according to the affidavit . They found him to be heavily tattooed , with multiple MS-13 gang tattoos , as well as `` Chuckie '' tattoos and a devil tattooed on his head . One tattoo on his back depicts the `` Chuckie '' movie character holding a knife , according to the affidavit . Guandique learned last week from media reports that he would be arrested in the Levy murder case and , according to a witness , responded with an expletive . `` They got me now . What am I gon na do ? '' the witness quoted Guandique as saying , according to the affidavit . He vowed that he was not `` going to go out alone , '' telling the witness he planned to set a fire with a battery and tissues , then use a homemade handcuff key to escape . He said he would kill the detectives with `` shanks , '' or weapons made in prison . A search of his cell on February 26 turned up the items he described to the witness , the affidavit says . They included an AA battery , several tissues , a toenail clipper fashioned into a sharp piece of metal , and a device made of a razor blade . Authorities said Guandique will be brought to Washington in the next 45 to 60 days and formally charged , ending a chapter in one of Washington 's most notorious cold cases . Although the case 's notoriety was fed by news reports linking Levy to a married congressman , U.S. Rep. Gary Condit 's name does not appear at all in the affidavit supporting the case against the man police want to charge with her murder .", "question": "What did the affidavit say about the suspect ?", "answer": "he killed a young woman"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has been ruled out of Portugal 's crucial final World Cup qualifier against Malta on Wednesday with an ankle injury and could be sidelined for up to a month . Cristiano Ronaldo holds his ankle before going off in Portugal 's win over Hungary . Ronaldo played with the injury in Portugal 's 3-0 home victory over Hungary on Saturday but lasted just 27 minutes before limping off . Portugal , who have made a late charge in World Cup qualifying after looking set to make an ignominious exit , need to beat Malta in the home game to be sure of a place in the European playoffs . The Portugal federation said they had allowed Ronaldo to leave the squad , while Spanish giants Real confirmed the bad news in a statement on Sunday . `` After a clinical examination and an MRI scan , it is confirmed the player has suffered a recurrence of his injury to his right ankle , a medial collateral sprain with inflammation in the bone , '' the club said . `` The estimated recovery time is three to four weeks . '' Denmark have an unassailable lead in Group One after beating Scandinavian rivals Sweden 1-0 on Saturday . The results almost certainly means the departure of Swedish coach Lars Lagerback , who said on Sunday that he will resign if his team fail to qualify for the World Cup finals in South Africa . Roland Andersson , Lagerback 's assistant , has also signaled he will go if results go against them on Wednesday . `` Roland and I will resign depending on the result , either after the World Cup in South Africa , after the playoffs or after the -LRB- last -RRB- qualifier against Albania , '' Lagerback said . The Swedes are now third in the group , a point behind Portugal , and face Albania in their final match . They must hope that Portugal , missing Ronaldo , slip up against Malta , while beating Albania . Meanwhile , Ronaldo 's former Manchester United teammate Wayne Rooney has been ruled out of England 's final World Cup qualifier against Belarus with a calf strain . Rooney picked up the injury in England 's 1-0 defeat in the Ukraine . England have already qualified for the finals .", "question": "What will Cristiano Ronaldo miss ?", "answer": "World Cup qualifier against Malta"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Apple rivals Google and Samsung said Friday that they have canceled the launch of a new smartphone next week to honor the death of Steve Jobs . The press announcement for the Android phone was set for Tuesday at a wireless industry trade show in San Diego , but representatives from Google and Samsung decided Thursday night , a day after the Apple co-founder 's death , that they would postpone the event , Samsung spokesman Kim Titus said in a phone interview . `` We just felt that it was n't the right time to make a major product announcement while the world is still paying tribute to Steve Jobs , '' Titus said . `` There 's never been such an iconic figure in our industry pass away before . '' A Google spokesman said in a statement : `` We believe this is not the right time to announce a new product as the world expresses tribute to Steve Jobs ' passing . '' He added that the development is on schedule . Titus also said the product is on track and that the delay is related only to Jobs ' death . Google and Samsung were expected to showcase a new Nexus phone with a curved glass screen , which would be the first to run a next-generation version of Android called Ice-Cream Sandwich . They have not set a new date for the news conference , Titus said . Titus acknowledged that Apple and its partners are carrying on in the wake of Jobs ' death . Apple and its cellular operators began selling pre-orders for the iPhone 4S on Friday . Sprint Nextel , the newest carrier for the iPhone , announced Friday that its next-generation 4G network will debut in 120 cities by the end of next year . `` Under the current circumstances , both parties have agreed that this is not the appropriate time for the announcement of a new product , '' Titus said in a statement to reporters and clients . Despite Jobs ' public disparagement of Apple rivals , executives from Google and Samsung voiced only condolences after the technology pioneer 's death . Google CEO Larry Page expressed his sadness at the news and said Jobs had always been an inspiration to him . He also revealed that a sick Jobs offered Page advice earlier this year when Page took over as CEO from Eric Schmidt , a former Apple board member . Sergey Brin said he and his co-founder , Page , had admired Jobs ' `` vision and leadership '' skills . In comments on Apple earnings calls and at conferences , Jobs described Android as a flawed , fragmented system and lamented about how Google , once a close partner , decided to compete with Apple . In a string of legal disputes around the world , Apple and Samsung have traded assertions that they copied the other 's inventions , and both companies are trying to block the sale of each other 's gadgets . After Jobs ' death , Samsung CEO Choi Gee-Sung said in a statement : `` Steve Jobs introduced numerous revolutionary changes to the information technology industry and was a great entrepreneur . His innovative spirit and remarkable accomplishments will forever be remembered by people around the world . '' Similar statements came from other Apple competitors that Jobs had waged public wars with in the past , including Microsoft , Nokia , Research in Motion and Sony .", "question": "What was the event planned ?", "answer": "The press announcement for the Android phone"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Anita Davenport 's curiosity about her family 's past began with the photographs that surrounded her . She said she wanted to know the stories behind the images of her parents and uncles . Anita Davenport 's grandfather , Walter , was stationed in Battle Creek , Michigan , during World War I . The stories she found -- and shared during several phone conversations from her home in Culver City , California -- parallel the African-American journey during the past century . The search took her to 1894 , when her grandfather , Walter , was born in Stone Mountain , Georgia . Walter Davenport moved to Wedowee , Alabama . During World War I , Davenport was stationed at Fort Custer in Battle Creek , Michigan , Anita said . Thousands of other African-Americans were also on the move , mainly to the Northeast and the Midwest , eager for opportunities related to the war and industrialization , according to Howard Dodson , a historian and the director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture . Walter Davenport later returned to Alabama , married and had nine children , one of whom was Anita 's father , Frank . Walter was fond of Battle Creek and regaled his family with stories , Anita said . The stories must have been convincing . The eldest of his nine children , also named Walter , moved north to Battle Creek in 1951 . Frank Davenport , Anita 's father , later joined his older brother in Michigan . Anita was born in Battle Creek . Between 1940 and 1970 , more than 5 million African-Americans left the South , migrating to cities like Boston , Massachusetts ; Philadelphia , Pennsylvania ; Chicago , Illinois ; Detroit , Michigan , and New York . `` You have this incredible movement of black people across the width and breadth of this land and -LSB- they -RSB- establish themselves as a national presence , rather than a regional one -LSB- based -RSB- in the South , '' Dodson said . Interactive : Explore the African-American journey That movement of African-Americans -- called '' the Great Migration '' -- had a clear and direct impact on the country . `` It made race a national issue , '' said Nicholas Lemann , author of `` The Promised Land : The Great Black Migration and How It Changed America . '' `` You could say it was always a national issue and have a very powerful case ... but it was possible to say , ` It 's a Southern issue , ' '' he said . `` After the Great Migration , it was no longer possible . '' African-American culture was interacting with other cultures across the whole of American society , Lemann said , `` affecting everything from government policy and music to sports and everything in between . '' The return South Civil rights legislation passed during the 1960s helped set the stage for the next era of African-American migration : A return to the South . Around 1970 , many African-Americans began moving back to the South , historians and demographers say . The trend accelerated during the 1990s and this decade , according to William Frey , a demographer at the Brookings Institution , a Washington-based think-tank . From 1965 through 1970 , the South experienced a net migration loss -- the number of people who moved into the region compared to the number of people who moved out -- of more than 287,000 African-Americans . Thirty years later , the numbers were nearly the opposite . From 1995 through 2000 , the South saw a gain of nearly 350,000 African-Americans . iReport.com : Share your family 's story The statistics come from an analysis of census data conducted by Frey in 2004 . The numbers of African-Americans returning to the South are not as large as those seen during the Great Migration , but the trend has resonance because of the place the region occupies in black history and mythology . The ascendance of the South 's economy was a key factor behind the return migration , Frey said . `` I think there 's a push and a pull involved with the movement , '' he said . `` A lot of it had to do with the decline of heavy industry , which employed a lot of blacks and blue-collar whites , in a whole set of Rust Belt states , '' he said . Meanwhile , states like Georgia , Florida , Texas , and increasingly the Carolinas , Virginia and Tennessee were booming , Frey said . Civil rights legislation and a more educated society made the South more tolerant and hospitable . The booming economy provided jobs and opportunity . But there is also an emotional element for many African-Americans when it comes to the region . `` I think a big part , aside from the economy , is the kind of historic roots that blacks have had there , '' Frey said . `` There is something culturally attractive about the South to the African-American population even though they spent many decades surviving brutal treatment during the Jim Crow period and a lot of the racial discrimination that occurred . '' Dodson , the historian , said many people , especially retirees , made decisions to return out of a desire to connect with ancestral homes , churches and communities . Anita 's parents still live in Battle Creek , though they spend the winters in the South . Her uncle , Walter Davenport , moved to Stone Mountain , the place of his father 's birth , in 1998 . When asked for the reasons behind her uncle 's move , Anita said it was a love of the land , the slower pace and something almost `` mysterious . '' `` They wanted to get out of the South , but it still calls them , '' she said of her family 's journey during the past few decades . There 's `` something about the land and it just calls them back like a song . '' CNN 's Christina Zdanowicz contributed to this report .", "question": "What are the different African-American migrations through history ?", "answer": "the Great Migration"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Saudi Arabia 's King Abdullah has been called `` The King of Hearts '' by many of his countrymen , referring to what they believe are his compassionate attempts to reform his ultra-conservative kingdom . He used his power Monday to overturn a criminal court sentence of 60 lashes and a two-year travel ban imposed on female journalist Rosanna al-Yami . Under the travel ban , she could not have left Saudi Arabia . Al-Yami was sentenced for her work on an episode of the television show `` A Thick Red Line '' that featured a Saudi man who bragged about sexual escapades . The controversial show explores social taboos . It is carried by the Lebanese Broadcasting Corp. , for which al-Yami works as a coordinator and guest booker . `` King Abdullah 's swift revocation of this punishment sends an important notice to the Saudi judicial system that it should not go after journalists for exercising free speech , '' said Sarah Leah Whitson , Middle East director for Human Rights Watch . `` King Abdullah should also overturn the sentence against the man at the center of the case , who had spoken about sex on a television show , and initiate reforms to strengthen the rights to freedom of expression and to a fair trial , '' Human Rights Watch said in a written statement . In the episode , the Saudi man , Mazen Abdul Jawad , 32 , bragged about his sex life . Saudi authorities put him on trial and sentenced him to five years in prison and 1,000 lashes . Shortly afterward , the court sentenced al-Yami . Jawad 's attorney , Suleiman al-Jumeii , said al-Yami was not involved in setting up the episode in which his client appeared . The lawyer said he is attempting to pursue an appeal for his client and get the case heard in a special court that deals only with media matters . `` A Thick Red Line '' caused an uproar in deeply conservative Saudi Arabia , where sharia , or Islamic law , is practiced . Pre-marital sex is illegal , and unrelated men and women are not permitted to mingle . Saudi authorities shut down Lebanese Broadcasting 's offices in Jeddah and Riyadh after the interview aired a few months ago . The king 's pardon of al-Yami was unusual , but it was not the first time he has stepped in . In late 2007 , the king pardoned a woman who , although she had been gang-raped , was sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in prison for appearing in public with an unrelated male , who also was pardoned , according to the Saudi justice minister . The king concluded in a letter pardoning the woman that her male companion , who was abducted along with her , had suffered torture along with her . Details of what happened to the two were not disclosed . Octavia Nasr , senior editor for Middle East affairs , contributed to this report .", "question": "What was the Saudi man 's sentence ?", "answer": "60 lashes and a two-year travel ban"}, {"story_text": "London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- British pensioner Ethel Kendall was `` only 72 '' when she left the United Kingdom in 1986 to be closer to her family in Canada . At the time , she was receiving the full British pension of just over # 38 -LRB- $ 58 -RRB- a week . Twenty-four years later , she is still receiving the same amount , and after a European Court of Human Rights ruling Tuesday she is not likely to receive any more . `` You know this is n't about me , '' the 96-year-old told CNN on the phone from her home in Canada . `` It 's about the British government 's deception and dishonesty . Our contributions were deducted from source with the clear understanding that we would get a full pension on retirement , but somewhere along the lines they changed the rule . In my book , in our book , they 're guilty of both fraud and deception . '' Kendall is one of more than half a million British expatriates living in countries including Canada , South Africa , Australia and New Zealand , whose pensions are not linked to inflation . On Tuesday , the European Court of Human Rights ruled by a majority of 11 to six that the British government had not breached their human rights by failing to `` up-rate '' their pensions to bring them into line with the cost of living . Under British rules , pensioners in a number of countries who do not have reciprocal agreements with the UK receive the same pension they were entitled to in the year they left Britain . People who emigrated before retirement age receive the amount they would have received at retirement age in the UK . In Britain , men qualify for a pension at 65 , women at 60 . A British expatriate who retires to Australia , for example , receives less money each week than if they had contributed the same amount during their working life and then emigrated to Barbados , Croatia , the Philippines , the United States , or one of more than 40 countries which do have reciprocal UK agreements . Margaret Oxley moved to South Africa at the age of 23 after World War II . Now in her 80s , she receives a UK pension of just # 2 -LRB- $ 3 -RRB- a week . `` The exchange rate is ten to one . Then the bank takes charges you see . No , you ca n't survive . A loaf of bread is ten rand . I get around 20 rand a week . So it 's really not worth bothering about , '' she said . Aging expatriates who have seen their pensions dwindle due to inflation and the falling value of the pound have been campaigning for change . The first court case was brought against the UK government in 2002 by Annette Carson , a British resident who moved to South Africa in 1989 . According to court documents , she receives a basic state pension of # 67.50 -LRB- $ 103 -RRB- -- # 14.55 -LRB- $ 22 -RRB- less than she would have received if her pension was index-linked . After failing to make her case in the British High Court , she took her claim to the British Court of Appeal and then the House of Lords . Many saw this week 's ruling in the European Court of Human Rights as the last legal avenue for recourse , but they are reluctant to give up the fight . `` I do n't think we 're going to make it the end of the road , '' said John Markham , director of UK parliamentary affairs for the International Consortium of British Pensioners . `` Certainly I think we 're going to mobilize public opinion with the new parliament , '' he added , referring to the upcoming British election expected on May 6 . The Vice President of the British Australian Pensioners Association , James Nelson said : `` Now it is up to the people still working or living in Britain to tell their government that they will no longer stand for this injustice . By paying increases in some countries and withholding them in others , the UK government severely limits our freedom of choice regarding where we can retire . '' It is estimated that around 250,000 British pensioners living in Australia are affected by the British policy . `` This is a devastating result and it will affect the lives of many British expat pensioners . The living standards of many will only continue to decline , '' said Jim Tilley , Chairman of British Pensions in Australia , who says one elderly woman there receives less than # 7 -LRB- $ 10 -RRB- a week after moving to the country in 1974 . In a short statement , the British Department for Work and Pensions said it had noted that the court found in favor of the government . `` We do not therefore plan to make any changes to the current arrangements , which allow for the exportability and up rating of UK State Pensions . '' Ethel Kendall is still angry . Not only for herself , she says , but for the pensioners in Britain who may now be reluctant to leave . `` There are many very lonely people we know in the UK who would give anything to come to Canada to join their families but they do n't take that risk , '' she said . A former nurse , Kendall worked part-time during and after World War II to ensure she could continue to support her three sons should anything happen to her husband . He was injured but lived for another 26 years after the war ended . A few years after his death , Kendall remarried . Only after losing her second husband in the mid-1980s did she move to join her family in Canada . She sold her home when prices were low but she says it did n't take long before her capital was eroded and she was relying on her UK pension for basic needs . `` It finished up with my family , not exactly subsidizing me with money , but buying big things for me , '' she said . `` I 'm 96 now . I 've been fortunate ; Canada has been good to me . I 've been in subsidized housing for 20 years but it should n't be that way . '' If her pension was indexed Kendall would be receiving # 82 -LRB- $ 125 -RRB- a week , more than twice as much as she does now . `` We 'd be lucky the way things are going now if we get a dollar for a pound . So , # 82 would be a darn sight better . ''", "question": "what is the pension she receive ?", "answer": "just over # 38 -LRB- $ 58 -RRB- a week"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Slave labor in developing countries such as Brazil , China and India is fueling part of their huge economic growth , according to a State Department report released Wednesday . Amnesty International activists protest human trafficking during an event in Greece in March . The department 's annual `` Trafficking in Persons Report '' found increased allegations of forced labor made in connection with a variety of agricultural products and manufactured goods in developing countries . In Brazil , the report found a `` trafficking phenomenon . '' It said thousands of trafficked and forced laborers had been found on plantations growing sugar cane for Brazil 's booming production and export of the biofuel ethanol . The report cites shrimp processed in Thailand and Bangladesh ; clothing from Bangladesh , India , Jordan and Malaysia ; and bricks made in India , China and Pakistan as being among the products of booming industries in which workers are subjected to forced labor , debt bondage and hazardous working conditions . Laws are not adequate to punish those responsible , it adds . China was found to have a `` significant '' problem with forced labor , including forced child labor . Children as young as 12 are reportedly subject to forced labor under the guise of `` work and study programs '' and subject to excessively long hours , dangerous conditions , low pay and physical abuse . The report found China 's growing brick industry is fraught with cover-ups of the problem . For the fourth year in a row , China was put on a `` watch list '' of countries that could face sanctions if they do n't improve their efforts to combat trafficking . India was also placed on the watch list for not doing enough to solve its trafficking problem , according to the report . While commercial sexual exploitation remained a problem in India , the State Department found internal forced labor `` may constitute India 's largest trafficking problem . '' It said men , women and children are forced to work in brick kilns , rice mills , agricultural businesses and embroidery factories . Once again , the report found U.S. allies in the Persian Gulf to have dismal records on trafficking . Saudi Arabia , Qatar , Kuwait and Oman were listed as destination countries with widespread trafficking abuses . The report cites forced laborers trafficked from Asia and Africa who are subject to restrictions on movement , withholding of passports , threats , and physical and sexual abuse . The report found those countries made weak efforts to rescue the workers and prosecute the traffickers . The other countries on the blacklist are Algeria , Myanmar , Cuba , Fiji , Iran , Moldova , North Korea , Papua New Guinea , Sudan and Syria .", "question": "What types of human rights violations are reported in the documents ?", "answer": "trafficked and forced laborers"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The chief executives of Ford and GM joined their Chrysler counterpart Tuesday in agreeing to accept salaries of $ 1 a year if Congress comes through with a bailout for the automakers . Alan Mulally , chief executive officer of Ford Motor Co. , has reversed course and will accept a salary of $ 1 a year . The statements came as the Big Three automakers turned in financial plans to Congress , hoping to bolster their requests for $ 25 billion in bridge loans . GM spokesman Steve Harris said CEO Rick Wagoner had agreed to accept a $ 1 salary . Harris did n't elaborate . Ford Motor Company said the salary of its CEO , Alan Mulally , would be cut to $ 1 a year if Ford actually borrowed money from the government . When Mulally appeared before the House Financial Services Committee last month , he said he would not agree to a pay cut . In his previous appearance before Congress , Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli said he would accept a $ 1-per-year salary if it helped Chrysler obtain its share of the rescue package . GM plans to display some of its new high-tech cars on Capitol Hill this week , a GM source told CNN . About two weeks ago , congressional Democrats ordered executives of the three automakers to show that they have viable financial turnaround plans when they return later this week to Capitol Hill . Watch why the Big Three are not all in same situation \u00c2 '' Ford released details of its turnaround plan in a written statement Tuesday . The automaker said that , based on current business planning assumptions , it expects its overall and its North American automotive business pre-tax results to break even or be profitable in 2011 . The company also released initial details of an accelerated vehicle electrification plan for a family of hybrids , plug-in hybrids and battery electric vehicles . The plan includes a Ford full-battery electric vehicle -LRB- BEV -RRB- in a van for commercial fleet use in 2010 and a BEV sedan in 2011 , the statement said . Ford said it plans to invest about $ 14 billion in the United States on advanced technologies and products to improve fuel efficiency during the next seven years . It also said it will sell its corporate aircraft as part of its cash-improvement plan . Speaking to reporters Tuesday , Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid , D-Nevada , said he would not support a bailout package unless the companies could prove that they would be viable after the bailout . Reid did not commit to holding a vote on the bailout package . `` No one is too big to fail , '' Reid said . `` We hope we can work something out with them . '' One of Reid 's aides said the senator had not read the Ford plan yet because he was involved in back-to-back meetings . GM , Ford , and Chrysler already have made sizable cuts in production and staffing throughout the year , with additional cuts expected in the next few months . Their plans were being submitted to the Democratic chairmen of the committees that will hear the automakers ' requests -- Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut , whose Banking , Housing and Urban Affairs Committee convenes Thursday , and Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts , whose House Financial Services Committee meets Friday . Lawmakers asked the automakers to describe how they will restructure their businesses to become more competitive . In general , the automakers have been asked to describe how much money they have , and how much they need to stay viable in the long term . Their plans also must address how the companies will meet health care and pension obligations to workers . After being criticized during their last trip for arriving in Washington in corporate jets , Mulally and Wagoner are driving to the nation 's capital in hybrid cars -- Mulally in a Ford Escape and Wagoner in a Chevrolet Malibu . A Ford executive told CNN the company 's plan , 20 to 30 pages long , was being e-mailed to Congress . He said the plan put a heavy emphasis on advanced technologies . Ford is worried , however , that even after doing a `` bang-up job '' on its report , the company may not receive what it needs , the executive said . The atmosphere in Congress was tense before Thanksgiving , he said , adding that he feels `` automakers have become the whipping boy '' for the industry bailout . Automakers are counting on a rebound in demand by 2010 . But that could turn out to be unrealistic because of an `` auto bubble '' the Big Three helped to create during the past few years . Cheap financing , easy credit conditions and attractive pricing on cars due to overcapacity in the U.S. auto market caused record sales earlier this decade . Experts agree those three conditions are going to be missing for years to come , and sales will be weaker than normal at least through 2011 or 2012 . CNN 's Ted Barrett and Kate Bolduan contributed to this report .", "question": "What automakers will accept nominal salaries ?", "answer": "chief executives of Ford and GM"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Russia announced Monday it might hold joint military maneuvers with Venezuela in the Caribbean , and the United States said it is scrapping a once ballyhooed deal with Moscow on nuclear technology . The declarations come in the wake of increased tension between Russia and the United States over Russia 's invasion last month of the former Soviet republic of Georgia , a U.S. ally that aspires to join NATO . Russian ships will make a port of call in Venezuela later this year and the two nations could hold joint naval exercises for the first time , both sides said . Russia denied there was any link between Monday 's announcement and the conflict in the Caucasus , although Russia has criticized U.S. support for Georgia , and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has long antagonized Washington . `` This is a planned event unrelated to the current political situation and Caucasian developments , '' Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said Monday . `` The exercises will not be targeted against any third party . '' The agreement on the Russian visit to Venezuelan ports was reached long before the conflict in the Caucasus broke out , he said . But he appeared to suggest Monday that Russia had proposed the joint naval maneuvers . `` If the Venezuelan side finds the proposal interesting and an agreement is reached , Russia and Venezuela may hold joint naval exercises in line with international practice , '' he said . Several hours later , U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Washington is canceling the proposed `` 123 Agreement '' with Moscow , which would have cleared the way for more trade of nuclear technology , services and goods between the two countries . He denied the pullout was directly linked to Moscow 's actions in the Caucasus . `` Over a period of time , we 've had some deep concerns about Russian behavior . And quite clearly the president has taken this action looking at the facts , '' he said . Both countries had accepted the agreement and it was awaiting congressional approval . Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned in an exclusive interview with CNN last week that Russia would not be pleased at the collapse of the 123 Agreement , which is named after a section of the U.S. Atomic Energy Act of 1954 . `` This would effectively kill any possibility for our cooperation to promote the Bush-Putin initiative on nuclear nonproliferation -- which is important for the entire world , '' he said . `` As I said , it would n't be our choice , but if the United States does not want to cooperate with us on one or another issue , we can not impose ourselves on Washington . '' But experts say Congress was unlikely to have given the deal a green light , and that the White House was making the best of a bad situation . `` I think -LSB- the administration is -RSB- making a virtue out of a necessity '' by pulling out , said Russia analyst Jon Wolfsthal of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington , last week . On the possibility of Russian-Venezuelan naval exercises , Latin America expert Wayne S. Smith warned against reading too much into the proposal . `` The Russians have complained about U.S. warships operating in the Black Sea , which is an area of intense interest to them . It would not be surprising if they returned the favor by having joint exercises in the Caribbean , '' said Smith , a 25-year foreign service veteran who ended his State Department career as chief of the U.S. Interest Section in Havana . `` It 's a way of saying : ` Two can play at this game . If you think you can send ships into the Black Sea without response , you are mistaken . ' '' But he said the mere fact of Russian ships operating in the Western hemisphere would not necessarily be dangerous . `` The act itself is not . Having naval exercises ? Fine , as long as both sides take it for what it is . It 's not a threatening gesture , it 's a message . '' Frank Mora , a Latin America expert at the National Defense University in Washington , said the announcement could be part of a complicated bargaining process , depending on whether relations improve between Moscow and Washington . `` Something tells me that soon enough something will happen to tone this down , and possibly this exercise with the Venezuelans could be used to pull back on this issue , '' Mora said . `` If things improve -LSB- the Russians -RSB- could pull back as a sign of commitment to improving the relationship . If tensions remain I see the possibility that this kind of exercise would occur . '' He said the Venezuelans have little to contribute to a military alliance with Russia . `` They have a couple of destroyers , a couple of old submarines , and frigates that can launch surface-to-air missiles -- not anything sophisticated or robust . This would not be a robust exercise . It would be more about indicating strategic cooperation . '' But he suggested that if the exercise does go ahead , it would be a sign of increased Russian confidence vis-a-vis the United States . `` They feel they are strong enough and bold enough to do something in our sphere of influence , '' he said . Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman appeared to shrug off the announcement . `` We exercise all around the globe and have joint exercises with countries all over the world ; so do many other nations , '' he said . Chavez said Sunday that Caracas was prepared to receive the Russians in late November or December , according Venezuela 's ministry of communications . But he indicated Venezuela might not be prepared for military exercises by then . `` We 're only in the planning phase . We 're not ready yet for the visit and the probable maneuvers to happen in September or October , or even November . So it could happen , if not at the end of November , then at the beginning of December , '' he said . Nesterenko said the Russian flotilla will include `` the heavy nuclear-propelled missile cruiser Pyotr Veliki and the large anti-submarine ship Admiral Chabanenko . '' The announcement comes only days after a U.S. Navy command ship , the USS Whitney , arrived in the Georgian port town of Poti in what the United States called a humanitarian mission . The ship reached Poti on Friday . Russia said the fact that a military vessel is being used in a relief mission raises concerns . Russia has become a major supplier of arms to Venezuela since 2001 . The two countries signed a series of deals worth $ 3 billion in 2006 , including fighter aircraft , transport and attack helicopters , and assault rifles , according to Jane 's , the defense intelligence publication . Chavez visited Moscow in July for his first meeting with new Russian President Dmitry Medvedev . CNN 's Maxim Tkachenko and Matthew Chance in Moscow and CNN State Department producer Charley Keyes in Washington contributed to this report .", "question": "What are the Caucasian developments ?", "answer": "conflict in the Caucasus"}, {"story_text": "Beijing , China -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Shanghai court trying an Australian Rio Tinto executive on charges of bribery and theft of commercial secrets will deliver its verdict on Monday . Australian consular officials will be in court when it renders its decision on the fate of Stern Hu , the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said Thursday . It was not immediately clear whether the court will also announce on the same day the verdict against three other Rio Tinto employees who were tried on the same charges . The three-day trial of the four employees of the mining giant ended Wednesday . Charged in the case were Stern Hu , an Australian citizen of Chinese origin who was the general manager of Rio Tinto 's Shanghai office . Hu has been in detention for nine months , along with Rio Tinto 's three Chinese employees -- Liu Caikui , Ge Minqiang and Wang Yong . Rio Tinto , a British-Australian company , is one of the largest mining companies in the world . The case has raised fears of a government crackdown on foreign companies doing business in China . When is a gift considered bribery ? The trial was closed to foreign news organizations , hindering independent confirmation of developments . Australian consular officials were allowed in the Shanghai courtroom for the bribery phase of the case , but were barred from witnessing the theft portion . Hu is accused of receiving two bribes : one for 1 million yuan -LRB- $ 146,490 -RRB- and another for 5.3 million yuan -LRB- $ 790,000 -RRB- . The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said he `` made some admissions concerning these amounts , '' but did not elaborate . The Chinese government initially accused the four of stealing state secrets when they were first detained , but the charges were reduced to theft of commercial secrets several months ago . Hu and the others were detained in July . China says the four bribed executives from 16 of the nation 's major steel mills to obtain industry information . In China , obtaining commercial secrets carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison . Rio Tinto has called the allegations surprising and said it was not aware of any evidence . The detentions took place about a month after Rio Tinto broke off an investment deal with China state-owned Chinalco , a resources company , that was worth more than $ 19 billion . The deal with Chinalco was signed in February 2009 and was awaiting a review by Australia 's foreign investment board . The deal soured as opposition party members in Australia ratcheted up their disapproval , saying it would put Australian resources at strategic risk . Others saw the deal as an alliance that would further link resource-rich Australia with the commodities-hungry Chinese market .", "question": "Mining firm executive on charges for what ?", "answer": "of bribery and theft of commercial secrets"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- 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 -LSB- President Bush 's -RSB- 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 -LRB- OSCE -RRB- 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 .", "question": "Who is the fighting between ?", "answer": "Georgia and militant separatists that has dragged in Russian forces"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- Mental Floss -RRB- -- Behind every good war are many good women . Using their feminine -LRB- and in at least one case masculine -RRB- wiles , the following five spies would make James Bond proud . Noor Inayat Khan was posthumously awarded the George Cross for her spy service . 1 . Mata Hari While Margaretha Geertruida Zelle MacLeod -LRB- 1876 -- 1917 -RRB- may not have caused World War I , she sure as heck kept it going . Having spent time in Java with her husband , Captain Campbell MacLeod , Margaretha returned to Holland and sued for divorce . To make ends meet she took up exotic dancing and the name Mata Hari -LRB- meaning `` the light of day '' in Malay -RRB- . With her sensual performances becoming the attraction of the major European cities came the men and the gifts for her favors . Many of these favors came from royalty and high-ranking French and German military officers . As World War I progressed , both sides became suspicious that Mata was spying for the other side . The French eventually put her on trial and , although the charges were never proven , Mata Hari was convicted of espionage and was executed by a firing squad on October 15 , 1917 . Playing the seductress up until the end , Mata refused a blindfold , smiled , and blew a kiss to the firing squad as the fatal shots were fired . Mental Floss : When a criminal survives execution 2 . Noor Inayat Khan Khan was born in 1914 and at a young age moved with her family first to England and then to France . In 1940 , Khan , along with her mother and sister , escaped back to England just before France surrendered to Germany . While in England she joined the Women 's Auxiliary Air Force -LRB- WAAF -RRB- , but her ability to speak fluent French soon caught the attention of the Special Operations group and Khan agreed to become a spy . Khan was flown to Le Mans , where she teamed up with other female spies and traveled to Paris , France . There they joined the French Resistance Prosper Network . Soon after their arrival , the network was infiltrated and many were arrested . Khan was ordered to return to England , but instead she stayed on and continued to pass information on to England . Eventually she was arrested again and interrogated by the Gestapo . When she refused to speak , she was sent to a prison in Germany and then to the Dachau concentration camp . On September 13 , 1944 , Khan and three other female British spies were executed by the Nazi SS . In 1949 , Khan was posthumously awarded the George Cross . 3 . Belle Boyd -LRB- aka `` La Belle Rebelle '' -RRB- Born Isabelle Boyd in Martinsburg , Virginia , in 1844 , the beautiful Belle soon became the star attraction in Washington , D.C. , social circles prior to the beginning of the Civil War . With the outbreak of the war , she returned to Martinsburg . When the Union soldiers occupied the city , Belle mixed with the officers and soon gathered information on troop movements , which she passed on to the Confederate forces . However , she is probably best known for warning Stonewall Jackson that the Union intended to blow up all the bridges around Martinsburg . With this information , Jackson , with a small number of troops , was able to surprise the Union troops and drive them from the area . In 1864 , Confederate president Jefferson Davis asked Belle to carry letters for him to England . The Union Navy captured her ship , but the officer in charge fell in love with Belle and let her escape . The officer , Lieutenant Samuel Harding Jr. , after being courtmartialed and discharged from the Navy , traveled to England , where he married Belle . After the war , Boyd toured the United States as an actress under the stage name of La Belle Rebelle . 4 . Elizabeth Van Lew Crazy Bet , as she was known , was born in Richmond , Virginia , in 1818 but educated at a Quaker school in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . After developing a hatred for slavery , Elizabeth returned to Richmond and freed all her family 's slaves . She also went so far as finding where her freed slaves ' relatives were and purchased and freed them also . After the Civil War started , Elizabeth asked to visit Union prisoners being held captive in Richmond . The Union prisoners gave her information , which she then passed on to the North . Among the slaves she freed was Mary Elizabeth Bowser , whom Van Lew got a job as a house servant in the home of Jefferson Davis . This allowed Bowser and Van Lew to collect and pass on information directly from the Confederate president 's mansion . Elizabeth effectively used the Crazy Bet moniker to make the residents of Richmond think she was mentally ill . She would wear old clothes and bonnets and talk to herself . Because of this , most people thought that her Northern sympathies were just a part of her craziness . Mental Floss : Confederacy 's plan to conquer Latin America After the war , President Grant named Elizabeth the postmaster for Richmond . When the citizens of Richmond found out that Crazy Bet was an act , they shunned her . However , at her death , the state of Massachusetts placed a memorial marker on her grave . 5 . Sarah Emma Edmonds -LRB- or Was It Frank Thompson ? -RRB- Born in 1841 in New Brunswick , Canada , Sarah ran away from home in her early teens . In order to survive she became an itinerant Bible salesman , by calling herself Frank Thompson and dressing like a man . In 1861 , Frank -LRB- Sarah -RRB- enlisted in the Second Michigan Infantry and over the next two years not only fought in a number of Civil War battles , but also served as a spy for the Union Army . Solders in her unit called Frank `` our woman '' because of his feminine mannerisms and his extremely small boot size . However , none of her comrades ever figured out that Frank was really Sarah . Mental Floss : Celebrity or look-alike ? This boded well for her spying , where she dressed as a young boy serving in Confederate camps , as an immigrant Irish peddler and , most interestingly , as a woman . In 1863 , Sarah caught malaria and deserted the army out of fear that hospitalization would reveal her true identity . In 1884 , though , Sarah applied for and was awarded a veteran 's pension in which the secretary of war acknowledged that Sarah was a female soldier who had rendered faithful services to the ranks . For more mental_floss articles , visit mentalfloss.com", "question": "Who did Belle Boyd pass on information to ?", "answer": "the Confederate forces"}, {"story_text": "HARARE , Zimbabwe -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Zimbabwe 's opposition party said four of its activists and the wife of Harare 's mayor -- an opposition member -- have been killed by supporters of President Robert Mugabe , just days ahead of next week 's presidential runoff . President Robert Mugabe says war veterans will take up arms again if Tsvangirai wins . Thursday 's report came as U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice accused Mugabe of sponsoring efforts to starve , beat and kill supporters of his opponent Morgan Tzvangirai so he can win the election . Rice was speaking on the same day that Tendai Biti , the opposition Movement for Democratic Change 's secretary-general , was charged with treason after being held in jail without charges for a week . If convicted , he could face the death penalty . His arrest and treason charges have been criticized by African and international leaders who characterize it as a ploy by Mugabe supporters to intimidate the opposition party before his June 27 runoff against Tsvangirai . A spokesman for the MDC blamed Mugabe 's Zanu-PF party for the five most recent deaths , saying they brought to 70 the number of MDC party members killed since a bitterly contested election three months ago . The body of the mayor 's wife , 27-year-old Abigail Chiroto , was found in a mortuary close to the couple 's house north of Harare . She had been beaten so severely with rocks and iron bars that her face was almost unrecognizable , MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said . Watch CNN 's Nkepile Mabuse report on the violience '' Chiroto was kidnapped , along with her 4-year-old son , on Tuesday . Some of her kidnappers wore military uniforms , Chamisa said . Chiroto 's son was released unharmed . Her husband , Emmanuel Chiroto , is an MDC member who was recently elected mayor of Harare . He was not home at the time of the kidnapping . Also Thursday , the MDC said that four other activists were found dead in Chitungwiza . The victims ' bodies showed evidence that `` they were heavily tortured until they died , '' an MDC statement said . `` It 's unbelievable the way people are being killed or murdered , '' Chiroto said . `` It 's almost mass butchering . '' Police confirmed the deaths of the activists but did not link the victims to any political party . Mugabe 's party denied any part in the deaths , saying MDC officials made such accusations frequently . `` They are claiming anyone who dies . They phone CNN , '' said Bright Matonga , a Zanu-PF spokesman . `` Whenever someone dies in the hospital , they rush to claim them . '' Matonga said Harare was run by a commission . `` There is no MDC mayor in Zimbabwe , '' he said . `` There is no newly elected mayor in Harare . '' Learn more about Zimbabwe '' In New York , Rice convened a meeting about the situation in Zimbabwe at the United Nations on Thursday . `` Mugabe is increasing violence against -LSB- the -RSB- opposition . ... President Mugabe has squandered the promise of the very nation that was hailed as the jewel of Africa , '' Rice said at a roundtable discussion attended by representatives from many international governments . `` Clearly we have reached a point where broader , stronger , international effort is needed , '' she added . On Friday , a magistrate judge will determine whether prosecutors have enough evidence to proceed with a trial against Biti . The judge also will determine whether Biti will be granted bail or will continue to be jailed until the trial . Biti was charged Thursday with treason , communicating false information prejudicial to the state , bringing the office of the president into disrepute and causing disaffection among armed forces , according to a journalist who was in the Harare courtroom . He denies all the charges . Watch Biti arrive for his court hearing '' Biti , wearing a red jacket and looking exhausted , held his head in his hands as the proceedings took place in the packed courtroom . `` I think that one must express very serious objection to the manner in which this whole case is being handled , '' said Tsvangirai , who was in court . `` The accusations are frivolous . '' Three of the charges stem from a document titled `` The Transitional Strategy , '' which Biti is said to have written ahead of the March 29 election . Biti is denying that he wrote the document , and his lawyers described it as `` doctored . '' The fourth charge of communicating falsehoods alleges that Biti announced that Tsvangirai had won the March presidential election by an outright majority , meaning no runoff vote would be needed . In recent weeks , opposition groups and churches have reported numerous cases of kidnappings , torture and other violence in the country targeting opponents of Mugabe . Zanu-PF members have been suspected of being behind the acts . Zanu-PF claims that the MDC is behind the violence . It said MDC members attacked the mayor of Kadoma , a city 140 km -LRB- 87 miles -RRB- southwest of Harare . It also accused MDC activists of causing millions of dollars damage to private business . Last week , Mugabe warned that veterans he commanded in his country 's liberation war nearly three decades ago would take up arms again if Tsvangirai won . Watch an ad vilifying Tsvangirai '' The MDC is using word of mouth and file-sharing sites such as YouTube to disseminate its campaign advertisements , claiming that they are banned by state media . The group sent advertisements to supporters via e-mail , asking them to forward them to their friends and relatives . `` Since the regime has denied the MDC access to state media , please send the adverts to as many people as you can , '' the e-mail says . `` A new Zimbabwe is near . The dictator is finished . Let 's finish it ! '' Mugabe has been Zimbabwe 's only leader since the war ended in 1980 but is blamed for the economic collapse of a country once considered a regional breadbasket . Zimbabweans increasingly are unable to afford food and other essentials , with agriculture paralyzed by land reform and the world 's highest rate of inflation . Police have arrested Tsvangirai several times in the weeks leading up to the runoff , most recently on Saturday , with 11 other officials and supporters from his party . South African President Thabo Mbeki met Mugabe and Tsvangirai on Wednesday in the hope of quelling tensions . Mbeki was visiting in his capacity as mediator with the 14-nation Southern African Development Community , the South African government said Wednesday . He is under domestic and international pressure for his perceived conciliatory stance toward Mugabe , but the South African leader recently said he would continue his quiet diplomacy despite recent events . CNN 's Nkepile Mabuse contributed to this report .", "question": "What does the government strongly deny ?", "answer": "any part in the deaths"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama and top aides have quietly stepped up talks with moderate Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine on a scaled-back health care bill , according to two sources familiar with the negotiations . Sen. Olympia Snowe is part of the bipartisan so-called `` Gang of Six '' negotiating on health care . The compromise plan would lack a government-run public health insurance option favored by Obama , but would leave the door open to adding that provision down the road under an idea proposed by Snowe , the sources said . One of the sources said White House officials are `` deep in conversations '' with Snowe on a much smaller health care bill than Obama originally envisioned . The modified proposal would include insurance reforms , such as preventing insurance companies from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions , according to the source . The potential deal would give insurance companies a defined period to make such changes in order to help cover more people and drive down long-term costs . But if those changes failed to occur within the defined period , a so-called `` trigger '' would provide for creating a public option to force change on the insurance companies , the source said . Snowe is pivotal to the debate because she may be Obama 's last possibility for getting a Republican senator to support his push for a health care overhaul . She is one of the so-called `` Gang of Six '' members of the Senate Finance Committee , three Democrats and three Republicans , involved in separate negotiations on the only bipartisan health care proposal in Congress so far . However , the slow pace of those talks and recent partisan attacks by the other two Republicans in the negotiations have dimmed hopes for a breakthrough , leaving Snowe as the only Republican senator that White House aides believe they can work with on the issue . Snowe first proposed the so-called `` trigger '' idea for a public option months ago , and has talked to Obama about it on several occasions , according to a source familiar with the discussions . The source told CNN that the White House staffers increased their phone calls to Snowe aides and their interest in her trigger idea this week . Obama and Democratic leaders seek a solution that could win support from a Republican or two , and more importantly , help bridge a divide among Democrats on the public option issue . Allies of the president hope that if Snowe accepts a health care agreement , she might also bring along her Republican colleague from Maine , moderate Sen. Susan Collins . Getting some Republicans to sign onto a proposal would improve Obama 's chances of gaining the support of key moderate Democratic senators such as Ben Nelson of Nebraska , Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas . All three are skeptical of a government-run public option supported by their more liberal fellow Democrats . Despite the flurry of direct talks this week between Snowe and White House staff , Snowe aides insist she remains engaged in the `` Gang of Six '' bipartisan talks that have been going on for months . Those talks have focused on creating nonprofit health insurance cooperatives instead of a public option to force competition and lower medical rates . The source familiar with Snowe 's discussions with the White House said Snowe 's trigger idea is n't being considered in the bipartisan negotiations because of early resistance from fellow Republican negotiators , especially Sen. Mike Enzi of Wyoming . Enzi and the other Republican negotiator , Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa , insist they are still committed to the bipartisan negotiations . However , their recent sharp criticism of Democratic health care proposals favored by Obama has caused tense relations with the White House .", "question": "What does Snowe 's plan not include ?", "answer": "government-run public health insurance option favored by Obama"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A key House committee passed comprehensive health care reform legislation Friday , moving President Obama 's domestic priority one step closer to congressional approval . Speaker Nancy Pelosi says House Democrats will return to their districts ready to defend the bill . The vote occurred as the House of Representatives adjourned for its August recess . The 31-28 vote in the House Energy and Commerce Committee came after several days of intense and often contentious negotiations between Democratic House leaders and an influential group of fiscal conservatives in the party . Three members of the Democrats ' conservative Blue Dog caucus -- John Barrow of Georgia , Jim Matheson of Utah and Charlie Melancon of Louisiana -- voted against the bill , along with two other Democrats , Bart Stupak of Michigan and Rick Boucher of Virginia . The committee 's bill will now be merged with two separate versions passed by other House panels before being considered by the full chamber in September . The prospects for health care reform in the full House , however , remain unclear . Democrats remain deeply divided , with a number of liberals expressing strong opposition to concessions made to the party 's so-called Blue Dog conservatives on the Energy and Commerce Committee . The fate of health care reform also remains uncertain in the Senate , where the Finance Committee recently postponed its long-awaited vote on a bipartisan compromise plan until after the August recess . The coming fights in both chambers serve as a backdrop for what is expected to be a month of furious campaigning for and against the bill as members of Congress meet with constituents back home over the break . House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Friday that House Democrats will return to their districts with talking points and memos to help them rebut opponents running `` a shock and awe campaign ... to perpetuate the status quo . '' `` Facts mean nothing '' to insurance industry executives and others opposed to change , she said . `` Misrepresentation is the currency of their realm . '' Pelosi did not indicate , however , how Democratic divisions in the House might be overcome when Congress returns in the fall . On Thursday , 57 members of the House Progressive Caucus sent a letter to Pelosi and others complaining that the agreement with the Blue Dogs weakened language creating a government-funded health insurance option . `` Any bill that does not provide , at a minimum , for a public option with reimbursement rates based on Medicare rates -- not negotiated rates -- is unacceptable , '' the letter said . The revised bill calls for the government-run public insurance option to be reimbursed on rates determined by negotiations with the insurance industry . The original version called for the same reimbursement rates as in the government 's Medicare program for senior citizens . The progressive Democrats also argued that cuts to the bill 's overall price would shortchange subsidies meant to help low - and moderate-income Americans buy health insurance . Some of those concerns were addressed Friday when the Energy and Commerce committee boosted funding for subsidies and added a provision empowering the federal government to directly negotiate prescription drug rates in the public plan . The agreement with the Blue Dogs , estimated to lower the cost of the House plan by $ 100 billion over a decade , would also exempt businesses with payrolls below $ 500,000 from having to provide health coverage to employees . `` We can compromise no more , '' warned Rep. Lynn Woolsey , co-chair of the 81-member Progressive Caucus . `` When leaders of the House meet ... to consider the three bills and produce a final one , we expect that it will retain a robust public option . If it does n't , we will vote against it . '' Opposition from progressive Democrats and some conservative House Democrats who want additional cost cuts could defeat the bill . Pelosi admitted that she preferred the original bill , but noted that much of the new language matched a proposal supported by Sen. Edward Kennedy , D-Massachusetts , a longtime champion of health care reform who is revered by liberal Democrats . She also pointed out that the bill could change when the House and Senate negotiate a final measure in coming months . On the Senate side , key Republicans in the Finance Committee negotiations said Wednesday that they were unlikely to complete work on a compromise plan before the August break . Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa and Sen. Michael Enzi of Wyoming said too many issues remained unresolved to sign on to a deal by the time the Senate breaks for its recess on August 7 . On Thursday , Grassley said pressure from the White House and Democratic leaders to speed the process did n't help . `` It would be better for me to say that instead of saying there 's no way we can cut a deal , there 's no way we can get all the compromising that needs to be done by an artificial deadline of Friday of this week , '' Grassley said . `` So we 're going to continue to work together this week and next week . But we 're getting close . '' Democrats had hoped the Finance Committee could finish its work before the August break to show progress toward health legislation . CNN 's Craig Broffman and Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report .", "question": "Who has complained about the concessions ?", "answer": "57 members of the House Progressive Caucus"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- With more than 5 million people suffering from Alzheimer 's disease in the United States , a number that 's expected to rise to 16 million by 2050 , the pressure is on to find better methods of diagnosis , treatment and prevention . Around the world , Alzheimer 's disease is the second most feared disease , behind cancer , according to a recent survey of five countries conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health . Yet there is still a lot of misinformation : Only 61 % of Americans who responded to the survey correctly identified Alzheimer 's disease as a fatal illness . Many participants also mistakenly believe there are sure diagnostic methods and effective treatments to slow the disease , but most would seek medical attention if they became aware of their own early signs . The research that came out of the Alzheimer 's Association 2011 International Conference on Alzheimer 's Disease , which took place in Paris last week , reflects a growing emphasis on early detection . Research suggests the best targets for exploring treatments are patients who do not have full-blown Alzheimer 's disease , but experience mild symptoms . Scientists have identified biological indicators called biomarkers that seem to be associated with Alzheimer 's , although they are not perfect predictors . Alzheimer 's Association : 10 signs of Alzheimer 's `` Things are heading earlier and earlier . And the use of biomarkers has been really essential for helping everybody move toward an understanding of what the earliest changes are and when they can be detected , '' said Dr. Allan Levey , chair of neurology at Emory University School of Medicine . Early detection So far , no drug has been developed to significantly slow the progression of the disease in all patients . And there 's no way to halt or reverse the decline of memory and other cognitive abilities once Alzheimer 's has been diagnosed . Since attempts to help patients who already have symptoms in these ways have failed , scientists must look to the earliest stages of Alzheimer 's in hopes of stopping it before it begins . Studies presented at the conference reinforced the notion that signs of Alzheimer 's may develop in the brain 10 to 20 years before any symptoms begin . A substance in the brain called beta-amyloid has been associated with dementia in people who have those kinds of symptoms . This is the main ingredient of plaques that build up in the brains of Alzheimer 's patients . People with a rare genetic form of Alzheimer 's , whose specific genetic mutations guarantee that they will develop the disease , tended to show signs of amyloid plaques in PET scans and cerebrospinal fluid 10 to 20 years before the onset of symptoms . These results come from the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network project . But that represents only a small fraction of Alzheimer 's patients -- 1 % of cases worldwide , specifically . If you do n't have the genetic form , there 's no way to tell if you will go on to develop the disease , even if you have accumulation of amyloid plaques . There are some people who have them but do not show symptoms of Alzheimer 's . The kinds of tests that would detect beta-amyloid levels are not widely available . And it 's not clear that pulling the amyloid plaques out of the brain reverses the process of cognitive decline ; this is one area of research right now . Another biomarker of interest is a protein called tau , implicated in the neurofibrillary tangles -- which basically take the shape of cells and destroy them -- that build up in the brains of Alzheimer 's patients , particularly in the memory center called the hippocampus . But there 's no scan to detect these tangles in a living patient . A major focus of research on early detection is patients who have mild cognitive impairment , a collection of symptoms involving difficulty with memory , language and other mental functions , but which does not interfere with everyday life . It is not necessarily a precursor to Alzheimer 's disease , but it does raise the risk of progressing into that more severe illness . Understanding mild cognitive impairment is important in coming up with better treatments for dementia in general , because the brain has n't deteriorated as much as in Alzheimer 's , so it may not be too late to intervene , experts say . The brain is the primary organ the disease attacks , but a small study presented at the conference suggests the eyes may also reveal signs of Alzheimer 's . Researchers looked at photos of retinal blood vessels and found some differences in Alzheimer 's patients , but further research is needed to confirm this idea of using an eye exam to help diagnose Alzheimer 's . The same holds for a study suggesting that falling is indicative of Alzheimer 's early stages : It 's a preliminary idea that needs further investigation . Identifying risk and prevention factors Another area of focus is identifying risk factors for Alzheimer 's disease . These are associations , not known direct causes . `` Age is a risk factor we ca n't modify , at least yet . Our genetics , we ca n't modify yet , which is another major risk factor , '' Levey said . `` But certainly seeking clues about ones that are modifiable is an important '' research area . At the Paris conference , researchers said 3 million cases of Alzheimer 's could be prevented worldwide if lifestyle-based , chronic disease risk factors were reduced by 25 % . This estimate is based on a mathematical model . In the United States , physical inactivity had the biggest association with Alzheimer 's out of the risk factors studied , followed by depression and smoking . Midlife hypertension , midlife obesity , low educational attainment and diabetes are other risk factors . `` If we can demonstrate that these risk factors can be modified , and that it will lead to lower rates of Alzheimer 's disease , the impact could be huge , '' Levey said . People in their 40s and 50s have still got perhaps a couple of decades to modify lifestyle to potentially lower risk , he said . There is also growing evidence that head trauma may increase the risk of dementia . One study presented at the conference in Paris found that traumatic brain injury was associated with dementia among older veterans . A study of former NFL players suggests that football players also may be at increased risk for mild cognitive impairment or similar cognitive decline , perhaps as a result of repeated head injury during these former athletes ' sports careers . In fact , 75 former professional football players are suing the NFL , alleging that the league concealed information about the harmful effects of concussions on the brain for decades . There is also the idea of cognitive reserve : that keeping the mind active can at least delay the onset of dementia . It also seems that intelligence might help the brain stay in the mild phase of the disease longer , although more study needs to be done in this area as well . `` We know that highly intelligent people have more tolerance to plaque buildup and to loss of energy in their brains than people with lower levels of intelligence and less education , '' said Dr. Steven DeKosky , vice president and dean of the University of Virginia 's School of Medicine , at an Alzheimer 's forum at the National Press Foundation in May . `` Their brain basically fights it off and finds some other ways to get the things done . '' Caregiving One of the underappreciated effects of Alzheimer 's disease is how great a toll it takes on caregivers . Caregivers are much more frequently ill and die earlier than people who do not care for someone with the disease , studies have shown . The stress of taking care of someone chronically ill is sometimes called caregiver syndrome . Caregiving is hazardous to health because of the stress of helping Alzheimer 's patients , and because caregivers may ignore their own health , DeKosky said . `` Alzheimer 's patients , when they get into moderate and severe stages , do n't have some real sense of time , '' DeKosky said . `` They have to be watched every minute . '' Patients may hurt themselves or wander off if not under constant supervision . And it 's common for patients to reverse their sleeping and waking cycles , so caregivers ' daily habits are likewise disrupted . The cost is staggering : Caregivers provide more than $ 200 billion in unpaid care , 17 billion hours each year , according to the Alzheimer 's Association . Gibbons ' advice to Alzheimer 's caregivers : Breathe , believe and receive Why do n't we know more ? Two of the biggest obstacles to finding treatments for Alzheimer 's disease are lack of money and difficulty enrolling people in clinical trials , experts say . The United States spends $ 450 million each year in Alzheimer 's research money , compared to $ 6 billion for cancer , $ 4 billion for heart disease and $ 3 billion for HIV/AIDS research . In spite of the money that does exist for research , Alzheimer 's clinical trials are hard to fill with participants , said Dr. R. Scott Turner , director of the Georgetown University Memory Disorders Program . Sometimes people believe they 're just having `` senior moments '' and do n't want to acknowledge their illness , Turner said . In other cases , patients do n't want to go through the hassle of the trial if they 're not guaranteed to receive an experimental drug ; but , in order for a scientific study to be valid , patients must be randomly assigned to either the drug or a placebo . Also , some trials do n't test drugs at all , but simply look for those biomarkers that may help predict disease later or explore other early diagnostic methods . Such methods will be in high demand when an effective treatment is developed , DeKosky said . `` When the first drug is successful , let 's say in symptomatic disease -- may it be so -- the crush to take advantage of what we know , while it 's still in research format now , will be immense , '' DeKosky said . If you or a loved one are interested in exploring clinical trials , the Alzheimer 's Association runs a system called TrialMatch to assist in finding a trial near you . Follow cnnhealth on Twitter", "question": "What are risk factors in the US ?", "answer": "depression and smoking . Midlife hypertension , midlife obesity , low educational attainment and diabetes"}, {"story_text": "BALTIMORE , Maryland -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Dr. Carnell Cooper , a Baltimore surgeon , is saving lives inside and outside the operating room . Dr. Carnell Cooper 's Violence Intervention Program provides training and support to trauma victims . Since becoming a trauma surgeon 16 years ago , he has dedicated himself to treating the many young African-American men who 've been shot , stabbed or beaten , only to see them return to the ER with another severe injury just months later . But when one of his patients was readmitted with a fatal gunshot wound to the head in 1996 , it changed Cooper 's life . `` The night that we pronounced that young man dead and my colleagues said there 's really nothing we can do in these situations . ... I just did n't believe that , '' said Cooper , 54 . `` From that day forward , I said , ` Let 's see what we can do . ' '' Cooper created the Violence Intervention Program -LRB- VIP -RRB- at the Shock Trauma Unit of the University of Maryland Medical Center , the state 's busiest hospital for violent injuries . It became one of the country 's first hospital-based anti-violence programs . `` We approached this problem like any public health crisis , like heart disease or smoking , '' he said . `` We tried to work on the root causes . '' Since 1998 , VIP has provided substance abuse counseling , job skills training and other support services to nearly 500 trauma victims . `` Using that scalpel blade to save their life is the first step , '' Cooper said . `` The next step is to try to keep them from coming back . '' A 2006 study by Cooper and his colleagues , published in the Journal of Trauma , showed that people in the program were six times less likely to be readmitted with a violent injury and three times less likely to be arrested for a violent crime . The issue hits close to home for Cooper . Born to unwed teenagers in Dillon , South Carolina , he grew up in a neighborhood where violent crime was commonplace ; he had friends and relatives who ended up dead or in jail . But his grandparents made sure he stayed on the right path . As a straight-A student , he attended a prestigious high school in Massachusetts , then Yale University and Duke University School of Medicine . But while Cooper rose above his circumstances , he felt sympathy for the young men who rotated in and out of his operating room . `` They could be my friends , my family , '' he said . Cooper 's program attempts to help patients from the moment they arrive because victims of violence face a greater risk of receiving another violent injury . Everyone treated for violent wounds at the hospital is seen by a VIP case worker , often at bedside . For Cooper , approaching patients at this early stage is crucial . `` We may get them in a moment when they are thinking , ' I just almost died , ' '' he said . `` We say , ` We 're going help you find a way to get out of the game . ' '' Watch Cooper talk to a victim of violence at his bedside '' VIP helps connect its members with additional support services , such as GED classes , conflict resolution , mentoring and parenting skills . A peer support group also meets at the hospital once a week . The success of Cooper 's program has made it a model for others around the country and inspired the doctor to develop a larger initiative , the Violence Prevention Program , which includes other hospital-based efforts targeting young people in at-risk communities . Howard McCray , 29 , turned his life around with help from VIP . He joined the program in 2001 after he was hospitalized with a gunshot wound to the arm . Nicknamed `` Pooh '' for his resemblance to Winnie the Pooh , McCray 's demeanor and lifestyle were once vastly different from the storybook bear 's . `` Before , I was into shooting people , robbing -LSB- them -RSB- , '' he recalled . `` I 've been in many gunbattles and been through the ER many times . '' Through VIP , McCray earned his GED and received job training and a driver 's license . The program also helped him learn about budgeting money and paying child support . Today , McCray is an outreach worker for VIP , visiting patients at their bedsides and encouraging them to join the program . `` I 'm a changed man , '' McCray said proudly . `` Dr. Cooper ... he saved me . '' Watch McCray describe how Cooper 's program changed his life '' Helping people like McCray inspires Cooper to continue his work . `` There are some individuals who we are not going to save , who are just immersed in the culture , but that 's not the majority of folks , '' he said . `` The majority of folks deserve a chance . '' Cooper believes it is all part of his responsibility as a doctor . `` Every physician 's goal is to save lives , '' he said . `` This is another step in that process . In my mind , it 's just what I should be doing . '' Want to get involved ? Check out the Violence Intervention Program and see how to help .", "question": "What does a study show about participants ?", "answer": "showed that people in the program were six times less likely to be readmitted with a violent injury and three times less likely to be arrested for a violent crime"}, {"story_text": "Tokyo , Japan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Toyota has added the brake systems of the latest Lexus hybrid vehicles to a growing list of problems with various models , the company said Friday . The company said it was checking the brakes on the Lexus vehicle model HS250h -- as well as a Japanese model called the Sai -- because they use the same system as that used on the 2010 Toyota Prius . Toyota has announced no recall of these vehicles , however , and said it has not received any complaints about the brakes from consumers . But the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced Thursday it is opening a formal investigation into problems with the Prius , Toyota 's fourth-best selling model in the United States and the best-selling model in Japan . The company has acknowledged a software glitch that is causing problems with its braking . It said it is looking further at the best way to repair the problem . On Thursday , Ford announced that it was changing the software in the braking system for its Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids to correct an occasion glitch in the old software . Ford said no injuries had been reported involving the problem . The Fusion/Milan 's issue seemed less serious than that of the Prius , said David Champion , the head of auto testing at Consumer Reports . The NHTSA investigation involves only 2010 model year Prius hybrids , which went on sale in the middle of last year . There are only 37,000 of those vehicles on the road , according to the agency . The Prius , which is built in Japan , is not one of the eight models affected by two recent recalls -- covering several million vehicles -- to fix problems with sticking gas pedals . All of those models were built at North American plants . NHTSA said its Office of Defects investigation has received 124 reports from consumers about problems with the Prius brakes , including four reports that involved crashes and two that resulted in injuries . No fatalities have been reported . Investigators have spoken with consumers and conducted preliminary field work . Late Wednesday , Toyota President Akio Toyoda spoke with U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood , reassuring him that Toyota takes U.S. safety concerns seriously and puts safety at the top of the company 's priorities , according to NHTSA 's statement . Toyota had only limited comment on the probe . `` We have heard about NHTSA 's intention to begin an investigation . Toyota will cooperate fully with NHTSA 's investigation , '' the company said in a statement . Even if the solution ends up being a relatively simple and inexpensive software adjustment , the Prius braking problems come at a bad time for Toyota , which has seen its prized reputation for quality and safety badly damaged by the recalls and the news attention given to them . The company has estimated that the problem with the gas pedals will cost it about 100,000 sales this year and $ 2 billion in repair costs and lost revenue . Other experts say the problem could be more long-lasting if consumers who once trusted the Toyota brand decide to shop elsewhere . The Prius problem is a `` disconnect '' in the vehicle 's complex anti-lock brake system that causes less than a one-second lag before the brakes start to work , Toyota said Thursday . At 60 mph , though , a vehicle will have traveled nearly another 90 feet before the brakes begin to take hold . The company also said it changed the braking system software in January for vehicles built since then . But it has yet to determine how to fix the brakes of vehicles already on the road . CNN 's Kyung Lah and CNNMoney.com 's Peter Valdes-Dapena and Chris Isidore contributed to this report .", "question": "What does Toyota estimate the cost of the problem will be to them ?", "answer": "about 100,000 sales this year and $ 2 billion in repair costs and lost revenue"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso met with President Barack Obama on Tuesday making him the first head of state to be hosted by the new administration . Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso steps off his Boeing 747 at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland Monday . It was a long trip -- 6,800 miles -LRB- 11,000 km -RRB- -- for a short meeting -- one hour -- and happened as Obama was preparing his first address to a joint session of Congress . Sitting next to Aso in the White House , Obama said : `` The friendship between the United States and Japan is extraordinarily important . `` It is for that reason that the prime minister is the first foreign dignitary to visit me in the Oval Office . '' Obama said the U.S.-Japanese alliance would be crucial in solving international problems including climate change . `` We think we have to work together , not only on issues relating to the Pacific Rim , but throughout the world , '' Obama added . Aso said the global economy was also on the agenda at their meeting . `` We are the number 1 and second biggest economies of the world . We will have to work hand in hand . `` I think we are the only two nations which are powerful enough to solve those very critical , vital issue , '' Aso said . Japan 's Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura said that being the first to visit the Obama White House was an indication of the priority the new president placed on the relationship . Another topic likely to have been on the agenda was Japan 's Asian neighbor North Korea , which U.S. intelligence says is preparing to test a long-range missile . Pyongyang has denied the charge , instead saying it is making preparations to launch a satellite . A test-fire by North Korea in 2006 failed 40 seconds after launch . The missile is thought to have an intended range of about 4,200 miles -LRB- 6,700 kilometers -RRB- , which -- if true -- could give it the capability of striking Alaska or Hawaii . Aso 's visit to Washington comes , as his approval rating stands at a meager 11 percent , the second lowest ever recorded for a Japanese prime minister . Yoshiro Mori , a former prime minister , resigned after his rate bottomed out at 9 percent . Last week his finance minister Shoichi Nakagawa announced he will step down after coming under fire for appearing intoxicated at a weekend news conference during the G-7 meeting in Rome . CNN 's Chie Kobayashi contributed to this report .", "question": "What distinction does Aso hold ?", "answer": "the first head of state to be hosted by the new administration"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Gen. Ray Odierno , the top U.S. military commander in Iraq , said Sunday he believes U.S. troops will be out of the country by the end of 2011 . Gen. Ray Odierno says the U.S. is working with Iraq to maintain security improvements as it looks to withdraw . On CNN 's `` State of the Union , '' chief national correspondent John King asked Odierno to rate his confidence , on a scale of 1 to 10 , that U.S. troops would be out by the end of the timeline agreed by the U.S. and Iraqi governments . `` As you ask me today , I believe it 's a 10 -- that we will be gone by 2011 , '' Odierno responded . One of the key architects of the troop `` surge '' strategy in Iraq , Odierno said conditions in the war-torn country have `` improved significantly '' in the past year or so . `` Obviously , we still have some very serious incidents ... but , again , it 's much safer , '' he said . Nine U.S. troops were killed in March , the lowest monthly toll since the beginning of the Iraq War in 2003 , he said . Watch Odierno share his assessment with CNN 's John King '' `` So , there 's been a clear improvement of security here , '' Odierno said . `` The issue is : Can we maintain that ? Can the Iraqis maintain it ? And that 's what we 're working through now . We want them to be able to maintain this stability as we pull out . '' But less than two weeks into April , the U.S. toll for the month is already at nine . Asked whether the attacks were a sign of increased coordinated violence , Odierno responded that `` there are some cells out there who are still capable of conducting suicide attacks , '' though he described the cells as `` very small . '' Watch as general discusses joining Facebook '' The U.S. military has made it more difficult for foreign fighters to get into Iraq through Syria , but there is still support for the Iraqi insurgency coming from Iran , he said . Mowaffak al-Rubaie , Iraqi national security adviser , said the Iraqi government is making improvements in handling its own security . `` We , the government of Iraq and the security forces in Iraq are much more suited now for this fight , '' al-Rubaie told `` State of the Union . '' `` And we believe that now we are leading and we are planning and carrying out most of the combat operations in the country , '' he said , `` and the United States forces are moving or transitioning to a more support role , more training , more providing more logistical support , rather than engaging in a huge military or kinetic combat operations . '' Al-Rubaie was mum when asked how President Obama has differed from former President George W. Bush . Watch al-Rubaie discuss Iraq 's future '' `` I do n't want to elaborate on differences , '' al-Rubaie said . `` But I believe that President Obama understands the situation in Iraq and I believe he wants to stick by ... the withdrawal agreement . '' Odierno described Obama as `` very attentive . '' `` He listens . He 's incredibly intelligent . He talks through the issues , '' Odierno said . `` He makes a decision and then we execute those decisions , and that 's all you can expect out of your commander-in-chief . And I 've been very pleased with the interaction that I 've been able to have with him . ''", "question": "What did the Iraqi national security adviser say ?", "answer": "government is making improvements in handling its own"}, {"story_text": "TEHRAN , Iran -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Iran 's president said Tuesday his country welcomes talks with the United States `` in a fair atmosphere with mutual respect . '' Women in Tehran celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Islamic revolution Tuesday . Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made the remarks a day after President Barack Obama said the United States is looking for opportunities for `` face to face '' dialogue with Iran , even though he has `` deep concerns '' about Tehran 's actions . `` Right now , the world is entering the era of dialogue , '' Ahmadinejad told hundreds of thousands of people in a celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Islamic revolution . `` The new U.S. administration announced that it 's willing to bring about a number of changes and is now taking the course for dialogue . It 's quite clear that real change should be fundamental , not just a tactical change , and it is quite clear that the Iranian nation will greet real changes . `` The Iranian nation is ready to hold up talks , but talks in a fair atmosphere with mutual respect , '' Ahmadinejad said . In Washington , Obama was asked about U.S. relations with Iran during his first prime-time news conference on Monday night . Watch news conference in full \u00c2 '' `` There 's been a lot of mistrust built up over the years , so it 's not going to happen overnight , '' Obama said . He said his administration is reviewing existing U.S. policy toward Iran , which supports groups Washington has branded terrorist organizations , such as Hezbollah and Hamas , and has defied U.N. demands to halt its uranium enrichment program . Despite those concerns , Obama said his administration wants to use `` all the resources at the United States ' disposal '' to resolve those concerns . `` My expectation is , in the coming months , we will be looking for openings that can be created where we can start sitting across the table , face-to-face diplomatic overtures , that will allow us to move our policy in a new direction , '' Obama said . `` So there are going to be a set of objectives that we have in these conversations , but I think that there 's the possibility at least of a relationship of mutual respect and progress . '' The United States and Iran have not had diplomatic relations since 1979 . During that year , the Shah of Iran was forced to flee the country and the Ayatollah Khomeini took power . Later that year , Iranian students took over and seized hostages at the U.S. Embassy . Relations have been cut since then . U.S. President George W. Bush labeled Iran as a member of the `` axis of evil '' after the Sept. 11 , 2001 attacks . Iran celebrated the 30th anniversary of the revolution Tuesday with crowds chanting `` Death to America . '' Watch the parade in Iran \u00c2 '' Tensions have rippled over issues such as Iran 's nuclear program , Israel , and Iraq , and have been aggravated since the outspoken Ahmadinejad came to power in 2005 . Western nations believe Iran is intent on building a nuclear weapon . Ahmadinejad has been criticized for his vehemence against and provocative remarks toward Israel and for Iran 's support of Hamas militants in Gaza and the Hezbollah movement in Lebanon -- militants groups that Israel has battled . Also , the United States has accused Iran of backing Iraqi insurgents . In recent years , the Iraq conflict has provided an opportunity for Iran and the United States to cooperate since both countries support the Shiite-dominated Iraqi government and Iraqis have urged both countries to put aside their differences in helping Iraq . In 2007 , U.S. and Iraqi envoys met several times in Baghdad . Ahmadinejad addressed the conflict in Iraq , saying that 1 million people have been killed and others have been displaced because of the `` Bush administration war on Iraq . '' `` To deal with the root cause of insecurity I think that we should go and find the main culprits , including Bush himself and his administration . They must be put on trial , '' said Ahmadinejad . `` The world does not want to see the dark age of Bush being repeated . '' Addressing the issue of terrorism , Ahmadinejad said Iran has been fighting terror for 30 years and that Iran itself been victimized by terror . `` If you want to fight terrorism in practice come and work with the Iranian nation , '' he said . `` If you want to eradicate the root causes of massacres and aggression , let 's sit together and see what has been behind the reasons why we have had wars in the Persian Gulf and the Middle East . '' As usual , he had harsh words for Israel , a state he loathes and a topic that whips up passions among his supporters . `` If you want to eradicate crime , let 's work together with the Iranian nation and other nations of the world and let 's put on trial the Zionist leaders of the Zionist regime , '' the Iranian leader said . As for nuclear power , Iran has said it wants to harness it for energy and Ahmadinejad indicated Iran is against deploying nuclear weaponry . `` If you want to fight proliferation of weapons of mass destruction , then you should join us and help us so that we will show you the right way . Yes we 're opposed to nuclear weapons of mass destruction . They 're real threats and they must be destroyed . Iran has been a victim of the use of chemical weapons of mass destruction but the only way would be justice and the use of appropriate mechanisms , '' he said . `` If they really want to have real security , then they should be able to work with us and then we will be able to revisit the structure of the Security Council -- and remember the Security Council itself is the root cause of discrimination -- we should change this structure and then have justice . '' The United States also is concerned about Iran 's technological pursuits . Iran successfully launched its first satellite into orbit last week , a step hailed by Iran 's president as a `` source of pride '' for the Islamic republic , according to state-run news outlets . The launch of the satellite Omid -- which means `` Hope '' in Farsi -- was timed to coincide with the 30th anniversary celebrations of the Islamic revolution in Iran , according to Iranian media reports . U.S. Department of Defense officials confirmed the launch , and the State Department expressed `` grave concern . '' In August , Iran performed a test of a rocket capable of launching a satellite into orbit . Iranian officials declared that mission a success , but U.S. officials disputed that . Senior U.S. officials had expressed concerned about the test of the rocket , saying Iran could use the rocket to deliver warheads . On Monday , Obama said Iran must `` send some signals that it wants to act differently , as well , and recognize that , even as it has some rights as a member of the international community , with those rights come responsibilities . '' `` It 's important that , even as we engage in this direct diplomacy , we are very clear about certain deep concerns that we have as a country , that Iran understands that we find the funding of terrorist organizations unacceptable , that we 're clear about the fact that a nuclear Iran could set off a nuclear arms race in the region that would be profoundly destabilizing . '' Praising Iran 's people history and traditions as `` extraordinary , Obama says the nation 's actions over many years now have been unhelpful when it comes to promoting peace and prosperity both in the region and around the world . '' `` Their financing of terrorist organizations like Hezbollah and Hamas , the bellicose language that they 've used towards Israel , their development of a nuclear weapon or their pursuit of a nuclear weapon , that all those things create the possibility of destabilizing the region and are not only contrary to our interests , but I think are contrary to the interests of international peace . ''", "question": "Who is seeking opportunities for dialogue with Iran ?", "answer": "President Barack Obama said the United States is"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Grand Ole Opry House is closed for repairs after record amounts of rain sent water 2 feet above its historic stage , damaging instruments , memorabilia and archival tapes at the country music landmark . Gaylord Entertainment Chief Executive Officer Colin Reed said he did not know how long the facility will be closed . The neighboring Gaylord Opryland Resort , a 2,881-room hotel , also is closed for restoration but will be open before the end of 2010 , he said . `` We 're going to do everything in our power to restore the stuff that 's been damaged by water , '' Reed said Friday . He said that quick thinking by Opry management Sunday saved much of the memorabilia there . Shows scheduled at the facility will move to other Nashville venues during repairs , he said . Massive flooding has caused more than $ 1.5 billion in property damage in the Nashville area , city officials said Friday . Investigators were still searching for two people reported missing and surveying the damage in the city and surrounding Davidson County . The flooding damaged at least 1,952 residential properties , city officials said in a statement . Cleanup crews have collected about 80 truckloads of debris from flooded neighborhoods . Most of the water that inundated several neighborhoods in Nashville receded by Friday , seven days after heavy rain swelled the Cumberland River . One of the city 's main water treatment plants remained closed because of the flooding Friday , prompting officials to tell residents to put off washing dishes and to limit toilet flushing . Last weekend 's storm system devastated Tennessee and neighboring states , leaving at least 31 people dead in three states , authorities say . Twenty-one people have been confirmed dead in hard-hit Tennessee . One person died in a tornado in Hardeman County that was spawned by the storms , according to the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency . The same storm system killed six people in Mississippi and four in Kentucky , emergency management officials said . The death toll could rise as rescue crews continue to search for several people who have been reported missing , including two kayakers in Kentucky and several people in Tennessee , officials said . `` Nashville has obviously been hard-hit , and it 's a well-known city , but there are so many other counties in the state and areas ... that have been hit very hard as well , '' Gov. Phil Bredesen said Thursday morning . `` A lot of people who did n't have flood insurance , because they never thought floodwaters would ever come anywhere near their home , are really looking at a total loss of their home , '' he said . `` It 's very tough on a lot of people right now . '' The federal government has declared 27 Tennessee counties disaster areas . CNN 's Martin Savidge contributed to this report .", "question": "Gaylord Entertainment says what ?", "answer": "he did not know how long the facility will be closed"}, {"story_text": "Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A federal appeals court has certified the largest class-action employment lawsuit in U.S. history , in a long-standing dispute against retailer Wal-Mart Stores Inc. over alleged gender bias in pay and promotions . The divided 6-5 ruling by the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday allows the combined multiparty litigation to move ahead to trial , where a decision against the company could result in billions in damages . The Arkansas-based chain of stores has the option of appealing Monday 's ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court for review . At issue is whether more than a million current and former Wal-Mart employees can band together in their claims of discrimination , which they say has occurred over the past decade , at least . The plaintiffs allege that women were paid less than , and were given fewer opportunities for promotion than , their male counterparts . They seek back pay and punitive damages against the world 's largest retailer . The lawsuit alleges that the company 's `` strong , centralized structure fosters or facilitates gender stereotyping and discrimination . '' The workers bringing suit also say women make up more than 70 percent of Wal-Mart 's hourly work force but in the past decade made up less than one-third of its store management . The suit was first filed by Betty Dukes , a store greeter in Pittsburg , California , along with five of her co-workers in 2001 . `` It has taken a very long time , and a tremendous amount of work , but it looks like we 're finally going to get our day in court , '' Dukes said after the ruling was announced . `` That 's all we 've ever asked for . '' `` We disagree with the decision of the sharply divided 6-5 court to uphold portions of the certification order , and are considering our options , including seeking review from the Supreme Court , '' Wal-Mart said in a statement . `` We do not believe the claims alleged by the six individuals who brought this suit are representative of the experiences of our female associates . Walmart is an excellent place for women to work and fosters female leadership among our associates and in the larger business world . '' The federal appeals court concluded that there was enough merit in the claims to proceed to trial on a class-action track . Since the lawsuit was filed , both sides of the dispute have held so-called discovery hearings , in which preliminary testimony was taken to establish facts . Judge Susan Graber of the appeals court said that although `` the size of this class action is large , mere size does not render a case unmanageable . '' The company has protested the size of the class action , which it called `` historic '' in scope , saying it would be too onerous to litigate . The company has more than 3,400 stores in 41 regions . Declaring class-action status for the lawsuit raises the financial and judicial stakes considerably , since more individual plaintiffs can now join , and creates greater potential liability for the company being sued . In federal courts , such certification must generally follow well-established principles to ensure that it does not become so large as to be impracticable and allows the parties to fairly represent the common interests of the larger class of plaintiffs . `` Wal-Mart tries to project an improved image as a good corporate citizen , '' said Brad Seligman , a Berkeley , California , lawyer representing the female workers . `` But no amount of -LSB- public relations -RSB- is going to work until it addresses the claims of its female employees . '' Wal-Mart has been accused in separate lawsuits of discrimination against African-American truck drivers and workers with disabilities . In 2001 , the company settled 13 lawsuits by paying out $ 6 million . Beyond this particular suit , most workplace discrimination lawsuits fail to reach a court for resolution , according to data compiled by the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission . In 2003 , when the Wal-Mart litigation was in its preliminary court stages , about 27,000 sex discrimination claims nationwide were resolved administratively by the EEOC , little changed from the prior decade . More than 57 percent -- 15,000 claims -- were ruled administratively to have `` no reasonable cause , '' and those usually were dismissed . Just over 10 percent were judged to have merit , resulting in a total of $ 94.2 million in settlements , or $ 34,200 on average per case , according to the data , which include all such claims , not just those involving Wal-Mart . The current case is Dukes v. Wal-Mart Stores , Inc. -LRB- 04-16688 -RRB-", "question": "What did the lawsuit say ?", "answer": "the company 's `` strong , centralized structure fosters or facilitates gender stereotyping and discrimination"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Serie A champions Inter Milan have confirmed the dismissal of coach Roberto Mancini , opening the way for former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho to replace him . Mancini guided Inter Milan to the Italian league title for three successive seasons . Ironically , the 43-year-old Mancini , who guided Inter to three successive Italian league titles , is now the favorite to take Mourinho 's former job at Stamford Bridge . Inter -- who won the first of their three titles in 2006 because those above them were demoted or deducted points over the matchfixing scandal -- released a statement about the sacking . `` Inter Milan have informed Roberto Mancini that he has been relieved of his role as coach , especially because of his comments that he was not going to stay after the end of the season following the Champions League tie against Liverpool on March 11 , '' read their statement . Mancini , however , rescinded those comments the following day declaring that he had made them in the heat of the moment following Inter 's elimination from the competition , losing 3-0 on aggregate . Inter 's reasons for sacking Mancini appear less credible after club president Massimo Moratti announced that the coach had changed his mind about leaving at the end of the season . `` I 've had a talk with Mancini , who confirmed to me that he wanted to stay at Inter next year to see out his contract . He wants to win the Champions League for us next season , '' Moratti said on March 12 . `` Mancini 's words surprised me , I did n't expect it and even less so I believe the people close to him . '' Mourinho , nicknamed ` The Special One ' for guiding Porto to the Champions League in 2004 and then Chelsea to two Premier League titles , would not come cheap , but the exit of Mancini has cost Inter dear too as his contract , which runs till 2012 , will leave him 24 million euros richer as compensation . However , Mancini was unable to make Inter into viable Champions League contenders despite the three Serie A titles . Mancini is the ninth coaching casualty under Moratti , following Ottavio Bianchi , Roy Hodgson , Luigi Simoni , Mircea Lucescu , Marcello Lippi , Marco Tardelli , Hector Cuper and Alberto Zaccheroni .", "question": "What was the reason for Mancini being fired ?", "answer": "his comments that he was not going to stay after the end of the season"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When Maggie Sorrells looks at her husband , Andy , she does n't see the man she married . In fact , most days , she does n't even recognize herself . Maggie and Andy Sorrells weighed 440 pounds and 505 pounds , respectively , at their heaviest . Before the Franklin , Tennessee , couple met online , both had endured lifelong struggles with weight and emotional overeating . Together , they had a combined weight of nearly 1,000 pounds . Maggie , who had a family history of heart disease and diabetes , had been warned by her doctor at the age of 27 that she would n't live to see 30 . But her real moment of truth came when she visited her mother in the hospital . `` The biggest shock of my entire life was stepping on a hospital scale and realizing I weighed 440 pounds , '' she recalls . Until that moment , Maggie says she never knew how much she weighed , because she was too heavy to register on a household scale . Andy , like Maggie , tried countless diets but failed to keep the weight off . At his heaviest , he was 505 pounds and had to have most of his size 64 clothing made by his mother to fit his 6-foot-3-inch frame . See before-and-after photos of CNN.com I-Reporters '' Obesity took an emotional and physical toll on the couple . Andy says people constantly teased him about his weight and he eventually withdrew . He battled depression and took anti-depressants for seven years . Maggie , on the other hand , tried to conceal her misery by making other people laugh . `` I was so depressed and so miserable . I was always the funny fat girl , but on the inside I was miserable , '' recalls Maggie . `` It held me back in many ways and I started to accept it as being genetic and felt this was just the way I was going to be . '' Though she never let her obesity keep her from traveling or socializing , it had affected her quality of life . Maggie had to use a seatbelt extension on airplanes and was once asked to get off a roller-coaster at an amusement park . In August 2002 , the couple was married and they soon made a decision that would forever change their lives . Before getting married , a friend introduced Maggie to The Weigh Down Workshop , a faith-based weight loss program , which teaches people to conquer their addiction to food , as well as other substances and vices , by turning to God . Maggie says she was never consistent or committed enough to stick with the program . But shortly after their wedding , the couple started packing on the pounds and while Andy tried another diet , Maggie gave Weigh Down another try . `` At the end of 2002 and the beginning of 2003 , I called Weigh Down and started taking the classes , '' says Maggie . `` My whole life , I had always wanted somebody to -LSB- lose weight -RSB- with me . But I knew if I wanted it bad enough , I would have to do it alone . '' She began to lose weight . `` I ate whatever I craved , but only when I was truly hungry and then I ate a lot more slowly , so I could tell when to stop , '' Maggie says . In February 2003 , after seeing his wife 's results , Andy stopped counting calories , gave up the low-fat foods and reduced his portion sizes . Fifteen months later , he had lost 257 pounds . `` Once I started this program , it changed my outlook on my entire life . I realized that being happy is a choice . I can either be filled with hate and despair or I can be happy , '' says Andy , who realized he no longer needed the anti-depressants . Maggie 's weight loss was more gradual . Shortly after starting the program , Maggie became pregnant with the couple 's first child . Sadly , she lost the baby when she was seven months pregnant . `` Many of our family members were afraid that we would turn back to food after we lost our first daughter , since we had turned to food to solve our problems our whole lives , '' remembers Maggie . Faith , she says , helped her overcome the loss and continue on the program . Three years later , she had not only lost 300 pounds but she also gave birth to another daughter , Lily . Last week , the couple welcomed their son , Jacob . How has the weight loss changed their lives ? Maggie , who now weighs 140 pounds and wears a size six , and Andy , who weighs 220 pounds and wears a size 36 , say they had no idea their lives could be this good . `` It blows my mind that we look the way we do , '' says Maggie . The couple shares their success and strategy for weight loss by leading online classes for Weigh Down . Maggie believes if just one person 's life can be changed by her story then her struggle will have been worth it . `` I want people to know there is hope . I looked for hope my whole life , '' says Maggie . `` I want that person who is just like the old me to look at where I am now and know that you want to be here ! '' iReport.com : Have you lost weight ? Send your story , photos and video E-mail to a friend", "question": "What doctors warned Maggie ?", "answer": "had been warned by her doctor at the age of 27 that she would n't live to see 30"}, {"story_text": "KABUL , Afghanistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Afghan government will change a law that critics say legalizes rape within marriage for Shia Muslims , President Hamid Karzai told CNN Thursday . Critics had feared that Afghanistan 's new Shiite law would set the nation backward . Karzai told CNN 's Fareed Zakaria that he and others were unaware of the provision in the legislation , which he said `` has so many articles . '' Karzai signed the measure into law last month . `` Now I have instructed , in consultation with clergy of the country , that the law be revised and any article that is not in keeping with the Afghan constitution and Islamic Sharia must be removed from this law , '' Karzai said . The president 's comments came one day after several hundred demonstrators faced off over the law , which critics say prevents women from declining their husband 's request for sexual intercourse and essentially legalizes marital rape . The measure applies to the 20 percent of Afghans who are Shia Muslims . It was part of a nearly 270-page piece of legislation that was written to solidify the identity of the Shia minority in Afghanistan . The bill languished in the country 's parliament for a year-and-a-half before it was recently pushed through in what one legislator called a `` chaotic '' vote . Women from various parts of Afghanistan marched in the capital Wednesday to protest the law , which has also been criticized by human-rights groups and Western leaders , including U.S. President Barack Obama . Watch Karzai react to controversial law ahead of Thursday 's comments '' When the demonstrators reached a mosque housing a school run by a conservative Shia cleric who helped implement the law , students came out yelling and cursing and pelted the women with gravel , said Fawzia Koofi , a female member of the Afghan parliament . Koofi said police did little to protect the women , but a spokesman for the country 's interior minister disputed that . `` Police played a completely neutral role , '' said spokesman Zamarai Bashiri . `` The police were able to control the demonstrations very well . '' About 300 to 500 women protested the law while 600 to 700 demonstrators marched in support of it , he said . The marchers who opposed the law included several female members of Afghanistan 's parliament . `` Both sides were able to express their thoughts and expressions , '' Bashiri said . The law has drawn much criticism . Watch a report on the law '' `` I think this law is abhorrent , '' Obama said recently . `` We think that it is very important for us to be sensitive to local culture , but we also think that there are certain basic principles that all nations should uphold , and respect for women and respect for their freedom and integrity is an important principle . '' French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel also weighed in . `` We very much hope that the draft piece of legislation is to be withdrawn , '' Merkel has said .", "question": "What does Karzai tell CNN ?", "answer": "that he and others were unaware of the provision in the legislation , which he said `` has so many articles"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Hanny van Arkel was poring over photos of galaxies on the Internet in August 2007 when she stumbled across a strange object in the night sky : a bright , gaseous mass with a gaping hole in its middle . Hanny van Arkel made her discovery by poring over images of galaxies on an astronomy Web site . `` It looked a bit like an irregular galaxy , but I was n't sure what it was , '' Van Arkel said . So she posted a query on the Web site of the Galaxy Zoo project , which encourages members of the public to join in astronomy research online . Van Arkel is a 25-year-old schoolteacher in Heerlen , The Netherlands , not an astrophysicist . But her startling find -- a mysterious and unique object some observers are calling a `` cosmic ghost '' -- has captivated astronomers and even caught the attention of the people who run the Hubble Space Telescope , who have agreed to take a closer look next year . `` This discovery really shows how citizen science has come of age in the Internet world , '' said Bill Keel , professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Alabama and a Galaxy Zoo team member . `` There was a time when I spoke pejoratively of armchair astronomers . And I 've gotten up at a star party and publicly apologized for that . '' Not so long ago , the term `` amateur astronomer '' conjured images of stargazers peering through backyard telescopes . But today 's are as likely to be analyzing reams of sophisticated data collected by observatories and posted on space-related Web sites . Armchair observers like van Arkel increasingly are making significant contributions to science , said Steve Maran , spokesman for the American Astronomical Society , a group of 6,500 professionals . Amateurs have been invited to present papers at recent AAS conferences , `` which would n't have happened years ago , '' he said . A successful example of amateur-professional collaboration , the Galaxy Zoo project was launched last year by Yale University astrophysicist Kevin Schawinski and Chris Lintott at the University of Oxford in England . The pair were looking for help in cataloging archived photographs of galaxies -- one million images -- taken by the robotic Sloan Digital Sky Survey telescope in remote southern New Mexico . Knowing that the human eye is sometimes more sensitive than a computer at picking out unusual patterns -- and that they did n't have time to do all the work themselves -- Schawinski and Lintott posted the images on the Galaxy Zoo Web site last summer . The professors then invited amateur astronomers , with the help of a brief online tutorial , to classify the galaxies as spiral , elliptical or something else . Online galaxy-sorting might not sound as fun as , say , surfing YouTube , but it was an immediate hit . `` We were overwhelmed by the response . It completely melted the server , '' Schawinski said . `` People tell us it 's addictive . Some of -LSB- the volunteers -RSB- are professional astronomers , but most of them are not . They 're just regular people who got excited about the project . '' During the past year , more than 150,000 armchair astronomers from all over the world volunteered their time , submitting more than 50 million classifications . The public 's collective wisdom -- the same principle that guides jury trials or Wikipedia -- proved remarkably astute , Schawinski said . For example , if 33 of 36 volunteers thought a galaxy appeared elliptical , then astronomers could be confident the classification was correct , he said . Van Arkel had been classifying photos on Galaxy Zoo for about a week when she came across the image that quickly became known as `` Hanny 's Voorwerp , '' Dutch for `` object . '' The primary school teacher does not own a telescope -- `` my -LSB- astronomy -RSB- background does n't really go further than looking at the stars when walking outside in the evening , '' she said -- but when she posted her finding August 13 on the Galaxy Zoo forum , the astronomers who run the site began to investigate . They soon realized van Arkel might have found a new class of astronomical object . The Galaxy Zoo team asked scientists working at telescopes around the world to take a look at the mysterious Voorwerp . Their best guess : The Voorwerp is probably a cloud of hot gas punctured by a central hole 16,000 light years across and illuminated by the `` dying embers '' of a nearby quasar , Schawinski said . Quasars are distant , highly luminous astronomical objects powered by black holes ; scientists suspect that light from the quasar still illuminates the Voorwerp even though the quasar itself burned out in the past 100,000 years . `` It 's this light echo that has been frozen in time for us to observe , '' said Lintott , the Oxford scientist . `` It 's rather like examining the scene of a crime where , although we ca n't see them , we know the culprit must be lurking somewhere nearby in the shadows . '' Galaxy Zoo leaders are eagerly awaiting images from NASA 's orbiting Hubble , which is scheduled to train its powerful instruments on the Voorwerp in 2009 . In the meantime , van Arkel is enjoying the fuss over her contribution to astronomy . `` It 's amazing to think that ... amateur volunteers can help by spotting things like this online , '' she said . `` What excites me the most is that all of this leads to more interest in science . ''", "question": "What did a Dutch schoolteacher discover using the Web ?", "answer": "a strange object in the night sky : a bright , gaseous mass with a gaping hole in its middle"}, {"story_text": "LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The wife of an Iranian pro-reformist activist detained as he tried to leave the country last week says she is `` deeply concerned '' for his safety . Fatemah Shams and Mohammadreza Jalaeipour are students together at the University of Oxford . Fatemeh Shams told CNN she had n't heard from her husband Mohammadreza Jalaeipour since she watched him being escorted away after he was prevented from boarding a flight to Dubai on June 17 . Both are students at the University of Oxford and had been returning to the UK from Iran after attending a family wedding , just as demonstrations escalated following presidential elections earlier this month which have plunged Iran into political chaos . Shams said she and her 27-year-old husband -- both activists for the pro-reformist Third Wave campaign -- planned to leave Iran on June 17 . At first , everything appeared fine with Jalaeipour having his passport stamped as he passed through immigration . But he was then approached by a plain clothes official who told him to turn off his cellphone before ordering Jalaeipour to follow him . `` We did n't get a chance to talk to each other -- I was watching what was happening and that was the last time I saw him , '' said Shams , 26 , who flew to the UK via Doha in Qatar . Watch Shams speak about her husband 's detention '' Shams said she had n't heard directly from her husband since his arrest but believed he was being held in prison . `` It 's a very difficult mental situation for me to understand what is going on and I am deeply concerned about his health and safety , '' she told CNN . Both Jalaeipour and Shams were members of the organizing committee of the Third Wave campaign , a reformist youth movement formed last year to back former president Mohammad Khatami 's candidacy in this year 's election . Following Khatami 's withdrawal from contention , the Third Wave threw its support behind Mir Hossein Moussavi , who has disputed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad 's re-election , claiming that voting was rigged . In a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal Jalaeipour said he had advised Moussavi on using social-networking Web sites , such as Facebook , to reach young voters . `` Third Wave was a totally legal campaign with reformist tendencies that was trying to get young people involved in the elections , '' said Shams . `` We believed we should take part to make our country better and to have a better future . We were encouraging young people to not be indifferent about their country . '' Shams said she thinks he may have been detained because of his political activities . `` Most of the activists who have been supporting the reformist candidate , all of them are in prison now . Why should the young people who want to do something for the sake of their country and their people , why are they in prison now ? '' Shams said she planned to return to Iran herself if there was no change in her husband 's situation in the next week or so . But she but admitted her own safety could not be guaranteed if she went back . Following more than a week of daily demonstrations in Tehran , Iranian security forces have been cracking down on protests and arresting activists including Ebrahim Yazdi , a former deputy prime minister who headed a group supporting increased freedom and democracy . Yazdi , who is 76 and has suffered prostate cancer , was later released . Moussavi and former president Khatami have sent a letter to Iran 's courts urging them to release arrested activists and protesters .", "question": "Is Jalaeipour 's wife concerned for his safety ?", "answer": "she is `` deeply concerned"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The following are excerpts from the Heather Mills-Paul McCartney divorce ruling , issued by the Honorable Mr. Justice Bennett . Dollar figures are based on the current exchange rate of approximately two dollars per British pound : Heather Mills ' case `` boils down to the syndrome of ` me , too , ' '' said the judge . On Mills ' finances : `` I have to say I can not accept the wife 's case that she was wealthy and independent by the time she met the husband in the middle of 1999 . Her problem stems from the lack of any documentary evidence to support her case as to the level of her earnings . I do not doubt her commitment to charitable causes ... -LSB- but -RSB- I find that the wife 's case as to her wealth in 1999 to be wholly exaggerated . The assertion that she was a wealthy person in 1999 is , of course , the first step in her overall case that her career , which in 1999 she says was one producing rich financial rewards , was thereafter blighted by the husband during their relationship . It is therefore connected to the issue of ` compensation . ' '' On her stature as `` business partner '' : `` In my judgment the picture painted by the husband of the wife 's part in his emotional and professional life is much closer to reality than the wife 's account . The wife , as the husband said , enjoys being the center of attention . ... I am prepared to accept that her presence was emotionally supportive to him but to suggest that in some way she was his ` business partner ' is , I am sorry to have to say , make-belief . '' On gifts to Mills from McCartney : '' -LSB- McCartney -RSB- asserted -LRB- and there is no dispute -RRB- that he made substantial capital payments to the wife over and above an annual allowance of # 360,000 -LRB- $ 720,000 -RRB- per annum . He lent her monies in respect of his purchase and renovation of -LSB- the house -RSB- Angel 's Rest . In 2002 and 2003 he gave her cash totaling # 500,000 -LRB- $ 1 million -RRB- . He lent -LSB- Heather 's sister -RSB- Fiona Mills # 421,000 -LRB- $ 842,000 -RRB- to buy a property and purchased a house for -LSB- Heather 's relative -RSB- Sonya Mills for # 193,000 -LRB- $ 386,000 -RRB- . In 2005 he purchased jewelry for the wife worth # 264,000 -LRB- $ 528,000 -RRB- . '' On some paintings in Angel 's Rest : '' -LSB- Mills -RSB- asserted in her cross-examination of the husband that some 30 paintings done by -LSB- McCartney -RSB- , which are hanging in Angel 's Rest , were given to her by the husband . The husband strongly disagreed . The husband told me that when the wife bought Angel 's Rest she had nothing to hang on the walls and so he lent her 30 of his own paintings . He told me they were his , that he may leave them in trust for Beatrice and his other children , and that he wants them back save for the flower photographs and the Isle of Man stamp design , both given to the wife by the husband . The husband , I find , was generous towards the wife but his generosity did not extend to giving her 30 valuable paintings -LRB- of his own creation . -RRB- I accept the husband 's evidence . In my judgment he is entitled to have them back . '' On the size of McCartney 's fortune : `` It is unnecessary in the instant case to arrive at a precise figure for the total wealth of the husband , given its enormous size . As he has always accepted , he can pay any sum which the court considers appropriate as for financial provision for the wife . Nevertheless I find that the husband 's total wealth amounts to approximately # 400 million -LRB- $ 800 million -RRB- . I reject the wife 's case that he is worth # 800 million -LRB- $ 1.6 billion -RRB- . There is absolutely no evidence at all to support that figure or any figure anywhere near it . '' On living style : `` In my judgment the wife 's attitude , ... her open offers , her oral and written evidence , and her submissions is that she is entitled for the indefinite future , if not for the whole of her life , to live at the same ` rate ' as the husband and to be kept in the style to which she perceives she was accustomed during the marriage . Although she strongly denied it her case boils down to the syndrome of ` me , too ' or ` if he has it , I want it too . ' ... It must have been absolutely plain to the wife after separation that it was wholly unrealistic to expect to go on living at the rate at which she perceived she was living . '' On Mills ' future : `` The wife 's case is that her earning capacity is now zero . The wife , as I have said , blames the husband for his attitude towards her working during the marriage . That I have found to be a false case . ... The wife would say she is at a severe disadvantage . I think she overplays her hand . ... I have no doubt that , despite the very adverse publicity in the last 2 years or a little under , the wife does have an earning capacity . She has earned her living since the age of 17 . I have found that her association with the husband advanced , not stultified , her career . '' E-mail to a friend", "question": "what Judge on Heather Mills ?", "answer": "Honorable Mr. Justice Bennett"}, {"story_text": "Islamabad , Pakistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A blast hit near a building housing Pakistan 's intelligence service , ISI , in the eastern city of Multan on Tuesday , killing at least 12 people and wounding 20 others , police said . The explosion took place at a security checkpoint , said Jamshed Akram of the city police . Four soldiers and four children were among the dead , said Dr. Kaleem Ullah of Multan 's emergency services . Pakistan has blamed the violence on Islamic militants who have vowed to avenge a intense military offensive to rout them from their haven along the country 's border with Afghanistan . The nation has come under increasingly frequent attacks . On Monday , a blast at a crowded market in Lahore killed 54 and wounded more than 150 people . The same day two other bombing attacks -- in Peshawar and Quetta -- killed at least 11 and wounded at least 41 . The attacks came three days after militants armed with guns and grenades stormed a mosque in Rawalpindi frequented by military personnel . At least 36 were killed and 75 wounded . The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the mosque bombing , but there were no immediately claims for Monday 's attacks . In an e-mail to CNN about the mosque attack , the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan said : `` We reconfirmed it , that the TTP has done it , and will do more which are already planned . We once again mention that we are not against the innocent people and the state of Pakistan but against those officers and ministers who are American by hearts and minds and Pakistani just by faces . '' The United States has pressed Pakistan to rout out Taliban militants . Fighting the war in Afghanistan is `` inextricably linked to our partnership with Pakistan , '' President Barack Obama said Tuesday of U.S. strategy . `` We are in Afghanistan to prevent a cancer from once again spreading through that country , '' he said in a speech at West Point . `` But this same cancer has also taken root in the border region of Pakistan . That is why we need a strategy that works on both sides of the border . '' The United States says Pakistan looms large because Taliban and al Qaeda militants operating in Afghanistan also have had a presence in Pakistan 's northwestern region near the Afghan border and have threatened the governments and troops in both countries .", "question": "How many soldiers and children were found among the dead ?", "answer": "Four soldiers and four"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- Travel + Leisure -RRB- -- When you 're dining at a revolving restaurant 250 feet above Cape Town , you expect the views to be fantastic . The real surprise is when the food appears -- and it 's excellent . What better way to savor a beautiful city than from this vantage point : a window seat at a revolving restaurant where the shifting views complement the gourmet courses . At Cape Town 's Top of the Ritz , that means pairings of just-caught mussels with a view of iconic Table Mountain , spicy curry-butternut soup with the sandstone Twelve Apostle peaks , rack of lamb with beaches , and dessert with the sunset dipping below the Atlantic . Travel + Leisure : America 's rudest people Over the past 50 years , revolving restaurants have opened in more than 50 countries on six continents , from Colombia to Nepal to Canada . Along the way , the concept has gone from futuristic novelty to often-tacky tourist traps . But set aside that skepticism : we 've pinpointed select revolving restaurants that are worth the price of admission . The revolving restaurant trend took flight in 1961 , when Seattle architect John Graham built one on top of a shopping center in Hawaii . A year later Graham was commissioned to design the Space Needle for the upcoming World 's Fair in his hometown , and brought the idea with him . The resulting ultramodern tower not only became an enduring icon of this Northwest city , it brought 20,000 awed visitors to the Space Needle restaurant each day of the World 's Fair , setting off a global craze for revolving restaurants . Far too many successors get by on their looks alone , serving generic , overpriced dishes that typically invite the harsh review : `` killer views , mediocre food . '' Munich 's Restaurant 181 rises above that revolving restaurant reputation and has become one of the city 's most coveted dining spots . It even earned a Michelin star for chef Otto Koch 's concoctions , such as morel-crusted veal and langoustine tartare on a bed of caviar . Koch introduced airplane-esque classes of dining , from the First -LRB- eight courses , including the caviar , for $ 209 -RRB- to the Economy Sunset Menu , a three-course prix fixe at a down-to-earth $ 52 . That 's about as frugal as you get at these revolving restaurants , which each deliver a once-in-a-lifetime meal that ca n't be duplicated anywhere else . Give them a spin . Travel + Leisure : World 's most beautiful subway stations Perlan : Reykjavik , Iceland Built above a geothermal spring , Perlan serves a practical function -- storing the city 's water tanks -- and the indulgent one of fine dining in its giant glass dome . Enter , and you 're greeted by sweeping views of the deep-blue ocean and volcanic mountains surrounding Reykjavik . Get your fill of fresh local seafood such as sous vide smoked trout -LRB- $ 20 -RRB- and , in autumn , a special wild game buffet -LRB- $ 73 -RRB- of Icelandic delicacies like wild goose , reindeer , and puffin . Heads Up : Str\u00f3kur , a geyser right outside the restaurant , can provide quite the mealtime show , shooting white plumes of steam high into the air . Top of the World : Las Vegas Every glittering light of the Las Vegas Strip can be seen from this 844-foot-high restaurant -- the crown of the Stratosphere Casino , Hotel & Tower . The extravagant four-course tasting menu mixes classics such as lobster bisque and filet mignon with more inventive dishes like roasted miso Mediterranean loup de mer with shoyu ginger glaze , followed by cr\u00e8me br\u00fbl\u00e9e and cheesecake lollipops . Heads Up : Do n't be alarmed if you see a person propel past your window -- the new SkyJump thrill ride leaves from right above the restaurant . Summit Restaurant : Sydney Red carpets , pink-tinged lighting , and sleek lounge furniture create a sultry vibe within this dining room , which revolves past the Sydney Opera House , Harbour Bridge , and Olympic Park . Australian TV chef-lebrity Michael Moore put local reef snapper and pan-fried quail breasts on the two-course dinner menu -LRB- $ 89 -RRB- . For a more low-key meal , head to the Orbit Lounge Bar and pair an Aussie craft beer like Lord Nelson Old Admiral Strong Ale -LRB- $ 10 -RRB- with small bites such as deep-fried whitebait -- small and savory herring-like fish -LRB- $ 16 -RRB- . Heads Up : On a clear day , you can see the lush Blue Mountains surrounding the city . Drehrestaurant Allalin : Saas-Fee , Switzerland The world 's highest revolving restaurant is on top of a glacier 11,000 feet above sea level , reached by a remarkable alpine subway . A dozen of the highest peaks in the Swiss Alps slowly swirl by as diners warm up with hearty Swiss-German fare like kalbsbratwurst -LRB- veal sausage -RRB- with hash-brown-like r\u00f6sti -LRB- $ 32 -RRB- , and \u00c4lplermakkaroni : macaroni in a creamy cheese sauce with ham , bacon , potatoes , and stewed apples -LRB- $ 32 -RRB- . If you 're still frostbitten , a glass of mulled gl\u00fchwein wine -LRB- $ 9 -RRB- should do the trick . Heads Up : Look southeast toward Italy ; if visibility is good , you can see as far as Milan . Restaurant 181 : Munich Chef Otto Koch 's acclaimed restaurant inside the Olympic Tower was recently awarded its first Michelin star . Named for its placement 181 meters above ground , the restaurant has three airplane-esque options . In 181 First , the opulent eight-course tasting menu -LRB- $ 209 -RRB- starts with langoustine tartare on a bed of sevruga caviar ; 181 Business offers \u00e0 la carte dishes like morel-crusted veal -LRB- $ 43 -RRB- ; while the best value is 181 Economy 's Sunset Menu , serving a three-course prix fixe -LRB- $ 52 -RRB- from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Heads Up : Do n't get lost in the long view of the Bavarian Alps ; one of the city 's architectural triumphs , the canopied Olympic Stadium inspired by Alpine peaks , is directly below . Travel + Leisure : America 's most scenic roads Top of the Ritz : Cape Town Wedged in between the Atlantic Ocean and towering Table Mountain -- with the new World Cup Stadium to the north and posh Camps Bay beaches to the south -- this dining room showcases Cape Town 's main attractions in one gradual revolution . The menu , meanwhile , covers traditional South Africa fare , dishes like ostrich carpaccio -LRB- $ 7 -RRB- and a salad of biltong -LRB- beef jerky -RRB- and goat cheese -LRB- $ 7 -RRB- , plus plenty of wine from the vineyards of nearby Stellenbosch . Heads Up : Robben Island , the offshore prison where Nelson Mandela was held for 18 years , is immediately to the north . SkyCity : Seattle Atop the Space Needle , in the space that ignited the revolving craze decades ago , SkyCity remains the best place for panoramic views of Seattle , Puget Sound , and snowcapped Mount Rainier . Fortunately , the menu is not stuck in the '60s . Chef Jeff Maxfield puts creative twists on Northwest classics , from Dungeness crab cakes with apple-fennel slaw and herbed aioli -LRB- $ 13 -RRB- to grilled wild king salmon with blueberry butter , wilted pea vines , and micro herbs -LRB- $ 47 -RRB- . Heads Up : It 's hard to beat a multicolored sunset over the Olympic Mountains across the sound . Restaurant N\u00e4sinneula : Tampere , Finland A hundred miles north of Helsinki , this 550-foot lakefront tower in quaint Tampere is hardly a tourist trap ; its restaurant is consistently mentioned as one of the best in Finland . Local , seasonal ingredients such as just-picked morel mushrooms in spring or vendace roe from Lake N\u00e4sij\u00e4rvi -LRB- right outside the windows -RRB- in winter are incorporated throughout the menu . You 'll just have to trust that some items -- such as parfait of white chocolate with juice of sea buckthorn shrub -LRB- $ 16 -RRB- -- are more delicious than they sound . Heads Up : When the seasons change in October , the red-orange-yellow leaf-peeping here is as good as in Vermont . Brasserie Le Phare de la M\u00e9diterran\u00e9e : Palavas-les-Flots , France Down the coast from the glitzy resorts of the French Riviera , this quaint former fishing village lies on a strip of sand dunes that separates two saltwater lakes from the Mediterranean . Atop an old water tower converted into a cultural center , Le Phare overlooks area lakes and beaches , while serving dishes that emphasize local bounty -- from mussels and oysters to shrimp and lobster -- to the mostly French vacationers . Heads Up : In spring and summer , the lagoon directly below the tower is often dotted with pink flamingos . The Sky at New Otani Tower : Tokyo It 's hard to know which way to look when Tokyo 's skyscrapers are spinning by on one side and an array of master chefs are working at lightning speed in the giant stage kitchen on the other . The dinner buffet highlights fresh seafood from Tokyo 's famed Tsukiji Market , which you can request saut\u00e9ed , grilled , steamed , or cooked tempura in front of you -LRB- $ 108 -RRB- . Additional stations prepare sushi and teppanyaki -- prime Japanese beef grilled on a hot iron plate at your table . Heads Up : After dinner , head higher up to the 40th-floor bar for an even more impressive view of Mount Fuji and the Eiffelesque Tokyo Tower . Travel + Leisure : World 's coolest helicopter rides Planning a romantic getaway ? Do n't miss Travel + Leisure 's guide to the World 's Most Romantic Hotels .", "question": "What is the name of the revolving restaurant in Las Vegas ?", "answer": "Stratosphere Casino , Hotel & Tower"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In an age when many people become celebrities through looks or connections , Jennifer Hudson 's rise to fame came the old-fashioned way : through talent , hard work and a close-knit family . Jennifer Hudson is in a new movie , `` The Secret Life of Bees , '' and recently released her first solo album . At a time when the singer is in a new movie , `` The Secret Life of Bees , '' and recently released her first solo album , Hudson is now back in the public eye largely due to a family tragedy . Hudson 's mother , Darnell Donerson , and brother , Jason Hudson , were found shot to death Friday in their Chicago home . The body of the singer 's missing 7-year-old nephew , Julian King , was found in an SUV on Monday morning . Julian 's stepfather , William Balfour , was detained over the weekend for questioning in connection with the case , a police spokesperson told CNN . He was subsequently transferred to prison on a parole violation charge , the spokesperson said . Balfour 's mother has acknowledged that her son has been questioned about the shootings , but said he had nothing to do with the crime . No charges had been filed against anyone in connection with the murders . iReport.com : Reaction to Hudson family tragedy The tragedy is a sad turn for the 27-year-old actress and singer , who first earned national notice for her performances on `` American Idol '' in 2004 and won an Oscar for best supporting actress for 2006 's `` Dreamgirls . '' Hudson 's singing career began in her church choir in the South Side Chicago neighborhood of Englewood when she was a child . She remained devoted to singing all the way through Chicago 's Dunbar Vocational High School , where there is now a Jennifer Hudson Room . -LRB- She 's in good company ; Dunbar 's alumni include Lou Rawls and two of the Staple Singers . -RRB- `` People would say it was unusual for such a small girl to have such a big voice , '' she told Reuters in 2006 . `` They would say , ` She sounds like she 's grown . ' '' After finishing school , she performed in the musical `` Big River '' at a Chicago-area dinner theater and took a job on a cruise line . In 2003 , she auditioned for `` American Idol '' in Atlanta , Georgia , and managed to earn her way to the top-rated show with a performance of `` Easy to be Hard , '' the `` Hair '' ballad popularized by Three Dog Night . `` Idol '' proved to be an uneven experience for Hudson . After the show narrowed down its 12 finalists , she started slowly , at times almost being voted off , but eventually her song choices -- including Elton John 's `` Circle of Life '' and Whitney Houston 's `` I Have Nothing '' -- made her one of the favorites . Sir Elton himself believed she was the `` best of the lot . '' ` Idol ' friend speaks out about Hudson case In the end , Hudson did n't even come close to making `` Idol 's '' final two , being voted off midway in the show 's run . However , her performances had established her as a talent to watch , and in May 2005 -- several months after finishing the traditional post - `` Idol '' group tour -- she was contacted by a casting agency about the part of Effie , the tragic soul of `` Dreamgirls . '' In the musical , which concerns an all-girl trio much like the Supremes , Effie is a weight-challenged musical powerhouse who begins as the group 's leader but is dropped as both performer and lover by the group 's manager for the more statuesque singer Deena . The role features the musical 's showstopping song , `` And I Am Telling You I 'm Not Going , '' and won Jennifer Holliday a Tony Award when `` Dreamgirls '' ran on Broadway . Hudson was unfamiliar with `` Dreamgirls '' when she auditioned , but she allegedly beat out almost 800 other women for the role -- including her former `` Idol '' rival , Fantasia Barrino , who had been the third-season winner . The role 's high-pitched emotions were a challenge , Hudson told the Chicago Sun-Times in 2006 . `` I had to find a way into it , '' she said to the newspaper . '' -LSB- Director -RSB- Bill Condon sent me into ` Diva 101 . ' He told me I was too nice . So I 'd come into the room angry , but tell all the ADs , ` Bill told me to do this . This is Effie and not Jennifer . ' I had to learn how to separate myself from the character with that attitude . That was Bill 's main concern . Effie had to have that edge . '' Her performance won her across-the-board raves . Variety compared her turn to Barbra Streisand 's award-winning debut in `` Funny Girl , '' among others . It also led to a host of awards , including supporting actress honors from the New York Critics Circle , Golden Globes , the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and -- finally -- the Academy Awards . At the Oscar show , Hudson tearfully thanked her grandmother , whom she described as her `` biggest inspiration . '' Julia Kate Hudson , who sang at Pleasant Gift Missionary Baptist Church , where Hudson got her start , died in 1998 . Since winning the Oscar , Hudson has been a mainstay of celebrity magazines , which have broadcast news of her engagement to `` I Love New York 2 '' contestant David Otunga , regularly singled her out as an example of a healthy plus-sized body type and held her up as an `` Idol '' made good . She 's continued her movie career with performances in `` Sex and the City : The Movie '' and `` The Secret Life of Bees , '' both of which came out in 2008 . She sang the national anthem at the Democratic National Convention in August at the personal request of Sen. Barack Obama 's campaign . According to many reports , Hudson has remained humble amid all the attention . She remains devoted to the church -- `` Church is where I 'm from . It will always be my favorite place to sing , and that 's where I 'd like to go back to , '' Hudson told the Sun-Times -- and uses her against-all-odds biography to inspire others . `` I 've had a similar journey as Effie , '' Hudson told the Sun-Times . `` Me being a part of ` Idol , ' her being part of the group . ... We both go through our journeys , trying to hold on to our dream and achieve our goal . We have hardships , but we prevail at the end . ''", "question": "Who in Jennifer Hudson 's family recently died ?", "answer": "mother , Darnell Donerson , and brother , Jason"}, {"story_text": "New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- To the delight of fans back home in Tokyo , Hideki Matsui drove in six of the New York Yankees ' seven runs in their World Series-winning victory Wednesday and became the first Japanese-born player to win a series Most Valuable Player award . For much of his career , Matsui was a star player for the Tokyo Giants . Matsui 's key role in the series highlights the close ties between American and Japanese baseball . Playing in the Yankees ' new stadium , the successor to the `` House that Ruth Built , '' Matsui 's performance brought to mind the key role that Babe Ruth played in the development of professional baseball in Japan , according to Robert Fitts , author of several books on Japanese baseball . Fitts became a student of Japanese baseball in 1993 , when his wife , an attorney , was transferred to Japan . Fitts , then working on his Ph.D. in archaeology from Brown University , was looking for something to get him immersed in Japanese culture . He wrote to 30 of the greatest Japanese ballplayers and was surprised to hear back from nearly all of them , with some sending gifts . He 's the author of `` Remembering Japanese Baseball : An Oral History of the Game '' and of `` Wally Yonamine , '' a biography of the first Japanese-American to play professional football and the first American to play professional baseball in Japan . `` He was called the Jackie Robinson of Japan , '' Fitts said . Yonamine led the Japanese league in batting twice and won the MVP award as a center fielder for the Tokyo Giants . CNN spoke with Fitts , who is based in New York , on Thursday . CNN : What are your thoughts on Matsui 's key role in the Yankees ' victory ? Fitts : It 's wonderful for Japanese baseball , of course . I would say that five years ago , maybe seven years ago , it would have been incredible , because people in America and in Japan were n't sure about the status of Japanese professional baseball . Many Americans and some in Japan thought that Japanese baseball was n't as good as American baseball . ... Since then , Ichiro -LSB- Suzuki -RSB- came over , and he set numerous Major League Baseball records . ... And then Japan won both of the World Baseball Classics . So Japan 's baseball has already proven itself to be of high caliber . Most Americans , even if they do n't know the history of Japanese baseball , recognize now that they play a very good game . CNN : In Japan , how significant is baseball ? Fitts : It 's the Japanese national sport . It 's been so since the 1890s . Japan had no native team sports . In the 1870s . American and British teachers introduced team sports to Japan . Cricket was introduced , along with rugby and baseball . Baseball is the one that became the most popular . In the 1890s , a Japanese high school team beat a team of American adults from the Yokohama Country Club . They beat them in three straight games . It took on national importance . Japan , of course , was opened up to Westerners in the 1850s by Commodore Perry . The Western nations were far more advanced in technology , and Japan did a rapid modernization . By 1890 , Japan felt it was ready to join modern nations as an equal , but the Western powers were n't ready to accept Japan . CNN : How did the game develop after that ? Fitts : The biggest change came with two tours . The first was in 1931 , an American all-star team whose big star was Lou Gehrig , and the bigger tour came in 1934 . Both of these tours were sponsored by the Yomiuri newspaper . In 1934 , they brought over what at the time was considered the greatest baseball team ever . It included Babe Ruth , Lou Gehrig , Jimmie Foxx , Charlie Gehringer , Earl Averill , Lefty Gomez , Connie Mack was the manager , and we ca n't forget Mo Berg , the future spy -LSB- for the United States in World War II -RSB- . The '34 tour was significant for two reasons : The first is that relations between Japan and the U.S. were really rocky at that point . There was a very significant treaty , the naval treaty , which limited the size of the major powers ' navies . For every five warships the U.S. and Britain could have , Japan was only allowed three . Japan found this quite insulting , even though they had agreed to it in the 1920s . When the all-star team went over there , the Japanese people went crazy . Half a million people turned out on November 2 for a welcoming parade in Tokyo for the American baseball team . The tour really did create a great deal of goodwill . However , that ended quickly . Within a month of the tour ending , Japan announced that it would not renew the naval treaty . Several months later , in February 1935 , an ultranationalist group tried to assassinate the president of the Yomiuri newspaper because he brought over the American team . He was wounded very seriously but survived . CNN : What was the importance of the tour for Japanese baseball ? Fitts : The Yomiuri newspaper used the enthusiasm generated by the tour to start their own professional league . The first team they created -- to play the American visitors -- was a Japanese all-star team called All-Nippon . After the tour , the All-Nippon team transformed into the Yomiuri -LSB- Tokyo -RSB- Giants . CNN : What was Babe Ruth 's role ? Fitts : Babe Ruth was credited as the man who helped start Japanese -LSB- professional -RSB- baseball . He was just Babe Ruth . He sold out every game . He had just been released by the Yankees prior to the tour . He hit over .300 ; he led the Americans and Japanese for most home runs . CNN : How did Hideki Matsui become a baseball star in Japan ? Fitts : He was signed right after high school . He was the hero of the annual high school tournament . His rookie year was 1993 with the Yomiuri Giants . He spent much of '93 in the minors . By 1994 , he became a true star , and he was the face of the team from '94 till he came over to the Yankees in 2003 . CNN : How did people feel about Matsui coming to the Yankees ? Fitts : The vast majority of people were very happy for him . There was no sense of betrayal except for the true Giants fans . This was very exciting news . I was there when it happened . This was a chance for Japan 's most popular player to prove himself in the major leagues . The Yankees are a special team in Japan just like they are in the U.S. They 're probably the most popular American team in Japan . When -LSB- Hideo -RSB- Nomo first came over in 1995 , I found my Japanese friends only cared about how the Japanese players did . They were a fan of the Dodgers one day when Nomo pitched ; they were a fan of the Angels when -LSB- Shigetoshi -RSB- Hasegawa pitched , but over time the Japanese fans became fans of different major league teams as they watched more major league baseball on TV . CNN : What have been the differences between the American and Japanese games ? Fitts : There were real substantial differences from the 1940s even through the early 1990s . ... The Japanese would sacrifice bunt far more than the Americans -LRB- they still do but less than they used to -RRB- . Players did n't go first to third on singles often . They would play line drives on hops rather than trying to make a shoestring catch and risk giving up more bases . It was a very conservative brand of baseball . Since the ties have become closer , Japan 's baseball has become more aggressive , more exciting , in my opinion . There are still differences . The Japanese really focus on practice and perfection of the technique . That 's something American players can learn from , and I think it helps explain the success of Hideki Matsui and Ichiro . They 're both dedicated players who practice many , many hours . If you watch Matsui at the plate , he 's a very disciplined hitter . His swing is very compact , very practiced , almost perfect . He rarely makes mental mistakes when he 's playing the field or running the bases . CNN : How do you think people view the fact that he 's going to be a free agent and might not stay with the Yankees ? Fitts : I think the Japanese people would be very disappointed if he does n't remain a Yankee ... and I think most New Yorkers would be very disappointed , too . He 's an extremely classy player and a classy individual . CNN : Were you rooting for the Yankees ? Fitts : I 'm a Phillies fan . I grew up in Philadelphia . I 'm in mourning this morning , but at least it was Matsui who did the damage .", "question": "who is babe ruth", "answer": "the man who helped start Japanese -LSB- professional -RSB- baseball"}, {"story_text": "LAGOS , Nigeria -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- More than 400 people have been killed in a spate of violence in northern Nigeria , the president of a human rights group said Tuesday . More than 150 alleged militants were arrested by Nigerian police after clashes . The violence has pitted Islamic militants against government police and troops in the north-central part of the nation , officials said . Attacks continued Tuesday in the suburbs of the northern city of Maiduguri , said Shehu Sani , president of the Civil Rights Congress , a human rights organization based in northern Nigeria . People there are seeking refuge in police and military barracks and in hospitals , he said . Police and troops were dispatched to the militants ' hideouts after they began attacks on government establishments Sunday , said police spokesman Moses Anegbode . As authorities exchanged fire with the militants , 41 people , including a soldier and a policeman , were killed , Anegbode said Monday . In addition , some 176 people were arrested in Bauchi , he said . Besides Bauchi , militants also staged attacks on the nearby states of Yobe and Borno on Sunday and Monday , said Emmanuel Ojukwu , spokesman for the national police . Yobe 's police commissioner , Alhaji Muhammed Abbas , said that 23 suspected militants were arrested in connection with a bomb attack at a police station in Potiskum that killed a policeman and a civilian and wounded seven people . The official News Agency of Nigeria reported that as many as 100 members of a religious sect led by Sheikh Mohammed Yusuf may have been killed in a confrontation with police . In Borno , police spokesman Isa Azare said that two policemen were killed in an attack on police headquarters late Monday . `` The religious fanatics took the police unawares , '' Azare told the government-affiliated New Nigerian newspaper . `` That was why they succeeded in killing all the officers on night duty . '' Panicked residents stayed inside in all three states , and businesses shut down , even though officials said the situation was under control . The militants used guns , bows and arrows and machetes in the attacks , officials said . The militants disagree with the government 's teaching of Islam in the region , maintaining that the government allows itself to be influenced by Western values , and have been attacking government offices and Islamic clergy . There is a history of religious violence in central Nigeria , where majority-Muslim north Africa meets largely Christian sub-Saharan Africa . Human Rights Watch estimates that more than 1,000 people were killed in riots in 2001 . The human rights organization alleged last week that police and soldiers killed at least 133 people during two days of riots between Muslims and Christians in Nigeria last year . Most of the victims were young Muslim men , often unarmed , the group charged in testimony before a state commission examining the riots and in a separate report . More than 700 people died in the violence , the organization said , citing local religious authorities on both sides of the divide . CNN 's Christian Purefoy contributed to this report .", "question": "What number has been killed ?", "answer": "More than 400 people have"}, {"story_text": "Port-au-Prince , Haiti -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Ten Americans held in Haiti on charges of illegally trying to take 33 children out of the country were scheduled to have their first court hearing Monday afternoon , according to the U.S. State Department . P.J. Crowley , a department spokesman , said Monday that U.S. and Haitian authorities are `` working to try to ascertain what happened -LSB- and -RSB- the motive behind these people . Clearly there are questions about procedure as to whether they had the appropriate paperwork to move the children . '' The Americans were turned back Friday night as they tried to take the children across the border into the Dominican Republic . At least some of the group are members of the Central Valley Baptist Church in Meridian , Idaho . The missionaries say they were just trying to help the children start a new life . Central Valley 's senior pastor , Clint Henry , reiterated that point Monday , saying the group 's intentions were `` upright and pure . '' `` The intention was simply to go down and try to be an aid in ministering to children that had been orphaned in the quake , '' the pastor said . `` It was our intention to be part of a new orphanage . The decision was made that we could house those children in the temporary sites . '' But Haiti 's prime minister said Sunday the group was kidnapping the children . `` From what I know until now , this is a kidnapping case , '' Jean-Max Bellerive told CNN . `` Who is doing it , I do n't know . What are the real objectives or activities , I do n't know . But that is kidnapping , and it is more serious because it 's involving children . '' He added , `` The children certainly were not fully willing to go , because in some cases , from what I heard , they were asking for their parents , they wanted to return to their parents . '' U.S. Embassy officials visited the Americans over the weekend at a jail near the airport in Port-au-Prince . They are being treated well and are holding on to their faith , the Americans said . `` We came into Haiti to help those that really had no other source of help , '' Laura Silsby , a member of an Idaho-based charity , New Life Children 's Refuge , said on Saturday . `` We are trusting the truth will be revealed , and we are praying for that . '' The group of five men and five women said they were trying to move the children to the Dominican Republic after the 7.0-magnitude earthquake January 12 that devastated parts of Haiti , flattening the capital and killing tens of thousands . But a Haitian judge has charged the 10 with child trafficking , they said . The U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince said Sunday that the Americans had been detained for `` alleged violations of Haitian laws related to immigration . '' Government approval is needed for any Haitian children to leave the country , and the group acknowledged that the children have no passports . Jeanne Bernard-Pierre , general director for Haiti 's Institute of Social Welfare , said the children will be interviewed in the coming days to determine whether they have living relatives . The Americans said they believed the children were orphaned , and they were going to house them in a converted hotel in the Dominican Republic . Georg Willeit of SOS Children 's Villages , who said that Haitian police and the social ministry brought the children to his group after they were taken from the American group , said some of the children have living relatives . `` Some of them for sure are not orphans , '' he said . `` Immediately after she arrived here , a girl -- she might be 9 years old -- was crying loudly , ' I am not an orphan , I do have my parents , please call my parents , ' '' he said . `` And some of the other kids as well , they have their phone numbers , even , with them from their parents , '' he said . He said he believes that at least 10 are not orphans . Mel Coulter , the father of Charisa Coulter , 23 , who is among those arrested , told CNN affiliate KTVB on Saturday that the group members `` want to bring kids out who have no home , who have no parents , who have no hope -- and this was an attempt to give them the hope that they 've lost in Haiti . '' The Americans thought they had all of the necessary documents to transport the children out of the country , Coulter said , but they were stopped at the border Friday and told there was a paper missing . `` So they returned to Port-au-Prince , where they went in early -LSB- Saturday -RSB- morning to try and get the last documentation , and apparently were arrested on the spot and jailed . '' He said the group wants `` to do everything according to the processes that are required . '' CNN 's Karl Penhaul , Jill Dougherty and journalist Jessica Desvarieux contributed to this report .", "question": "What does the Prime Minister claim ?", "answer": "group was kidnapping the children"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Explorer Dennis Schmitt found an island nearly two years ago near Greenland . Fishermen pass by Greenland 's Ilulissat fjord in this September 2004 picture . Such a discovery would usually elicit curiosity , even wonder perhaps , but it evoked mixed feelings for the explorer . The island was once thought to be a peninsula attached to Greenland by an ice shelf or a glacier . But such a large amount of ice melted , it revealed the distinct island . `` I very quickly realized two things , '' he told CNN 's Anderson Cooper during a visit to the island earlier this year . `` One -LSB- was -RSB- that this was going to be significant because it was going to be an example of climate change . '' `` The other thing was that it meant it was really happening . It was n't a joke . It was n't just statistics . It was really happening . '' He calls his discovery Warming Island . Many climatologists and scientists say arctic ice melt and other changes in the Earth 's climate are the result of an increase in the world 's temperature , a trend widely called global warming . Many global warming experts say the phenomenon , if unchecked , is capable of altering the world 's climate and geography . In the worst-case scenario , experts say oceans could rise to overwhelming and catastrophic levels , flooding cities and altering seashores . Other scientists and observers , a minority compared to those who believe the warming trend is something ominous , say it is simply the latest shift in the cyclical patterns of a planet 's life . Most of the scientific community believes that some warming is occurring across the globe and through some layers of the atmosphere . But why it is occurring and what that means for the future is scientifically and politically contentious . The Earth 's temperature averages about 60 degrees Fahrenheit -LRB- about 16 degrees Celsius -RRB- . The average surface temperature has warmed one degree Fahrenheit -LRB- 0.6 degrees Celsius -RRB- during the last century , according to the National Research Council . The temperatures were relatively unchanged from 1880 to 1910 , according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency . They rose till about 1945 , cooled until about 1975 and have risen steadily to present day . There are several possible reasons for the warming , scientists say . A change in the Earth 's orbit or the intensity of the sun 's radiation could change , triggering warming or cooling . The reason most cited -- by scientists and scientific organizations -- for the current warming trend is an increase in the concentrations of greenhouse gases , which are in the atmosphere naturally and help keep the planet 's temperature at a comfortable level . The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere , for instance , has increased by 35 percent since the dawn of the industrial age , according to the United Nations ' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change , commonly referred to as the IPCC . The presence of methane is now 151 percent above pre-industrial levels , but the rate of increase has slowed in recent decades , according to the EPA . Meanwhile , nitrous oxide increased by about 18 percent during the past 200 years . Many scientists and experts who have studied global warming believe the increase is primarily the result of human activities , like the burning of fossil fuels , emissions from vehicles and the clearing of forests . `` For the last 30 years , there 's no way there 's anything natural that can explain it , '' Stephen Schneider , a professor of environmental studies at Stanford University in California , said . `` A vast bulk of the knowledgeable and honest community ... will say the science is settled and humans are at least a majority of the reason behind the warming , '' he added . Many scientific organizations share Schneider 's view , ranging from the national academies of the countries that comprise the G8 to the National Research Council , the American Meteorological Society and the American Geophysical Union . But there are those who do not share his view , and among the skeptics is Richard Lindzen , a professor of atmospheric sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology . `` We 've suddenly taken to reading tea leaves , '' he said . `` When we saw cooling from 1940 to 1970 , we were proclaiming global cooling . Since then , there 's been a few tenths of global warming , so we 're proclaiming global warming . '' He believes the current warming trend is the result of natural variability , where a planet goes through phases of warming and cooling and the human contribution to it is minimal . `` The Earth is always getting colder and warmer , '' he said . `` It 's always changing . In fact , this is true of any fluid-covered planet . '' Asked about glacial melt , which many observers point to as evidence of global warming , Lindzen said the way glaciers change and move are phenomena largely unexplained . `` We do n't know why , but it 's perfectly clear that glaciers change even though the temperature is cooling at the place that they 've occurred , '' he said . `` What we 're doing is cherry picking any event that occurs and then saying that 's occurring due to global warming . '' Yet , for Schneider , it is a cause for concern and alarm . `` We 're already in serious melt , nobody can explain it . The models do n't predict it , '' he said . `` We do n't know what 's going on up there . All we know is that we could be triggering something really nasty . '' The greatest point of contention is the possible implications for future political and economic policies for the world 's nations . The IPCC in February 2007 projected that if carbon dioxide levels doubled relative to pre-industrial levels , temperatures could rise between 3.6 to 8.1 degrees Fahrenheit -LRB- 2 to 4.5 degrees Celsius -RRB- by 2100 . The lower end of the range could cause more intense hurricanes , droughts , wildfires and flooding , Schneider said . The higher end could lead to the catastrophes commonly associated with the visions of Hollywood filmmakers . Uncertainties , however , plague such forecasts , which are based on computer simulations and models . The models contemplate factors associated with how the atmosphere , oceans and continents interact , all natural elements that have unpredictability intrinsic to them . `` Exactly how much it 's going to warm up , we do n't know , '' Schneider said . `` That it 's going to warm up ? I 'd bet anything on that . '' E-mail to a friend", "question": "What will make it not as warm", "answer": "A change in the Earth 's orbit or the intensity of the sun 's radiation"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The White House did not intend to show any disrespect toward Nancy Reagan when it failed to invite the former first lady -- a vigorous supporter of stem-cell research -- to a bill-signing ceremony on the subject , White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Tuesday . Nancy Reagan watches President Obama sign the Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission Act Tuesday . `` I think she speaks in real personal terms about the issue , '' Gibbs told reporters . `` And I think her candor and her courage have been heartening , and we certainly meant no slight to her whatsoever . '' On Monday , Vanity Fair published an interview with Nancy Reagan on its Web site in which she suggested the Obama administration missed an opportunity by not inviting her to witness President Obama signing a measure in March expanding federal support for stem-cell research . The former first lady has long promoted such steps despite objections from many in the GOP . She has argued that expanded stem-cell research could have helped her husband , who suffered from Alzheimer 's disease . '' I would have gone , and you know I do n't like to travel , '' she told the magazine . Watch more on Gibbs ' reaction to the controversy '' `` Politically , it would have been a good thing for -LRB- Obama -RRB- to do . Oh well , nobody 's perfect . He called and thanked me for working on it . But he could have gotten more mileage out of it , '' she said . Gibbs ' comments also come the same day Mrs. Reagan attended a White House ceremony marking Obama 's signing of legislation authorizing a Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission . The 11-member commission will plan activities marking Ronald Reagan 's 100th birthday on February 6 , 2011 . Watch Obama laud Reagan 's optimism '' Mrs. Reagan is slated to attend the unveiling of a new statue of President Reagan on Wednesday morning at the Capitol and then share a private White House lunch with first lady Michelle Obama . Obama issued an apology to Mrs. Reagan earlier this year after joking in a news conference that she held seances during her years in the White House -- an apparent reference to reports she consulted with astrologists during her husband 's presidency .", "question": "what did she tell magazine ?", "answer": "I would have gone , and you know I do n't like to travel"}, {"story_text": "Jerusalem -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Israeli sailors boarded two aid ships headed to the Palestinian territory of Gaza on Friday , the Israeli military said . While no resistance was reported , activists criticized the Israeli action as `` illegal '' and vowed that activists `` will keep coming , wave after wave '' to try to deliver aid to Palestinians in Gaza . Activists on board the `` Freedom Waves to Gaza '' mini-flotilla were `` attempting to break the maritime security blockade that is in place in accordance with international law , '' the Israeli military said , and were refusing to heed their calls to turn back . `` The boarding was carried out in line with directives from the Israeli government and after all attempts to prevent the vessels from reaching the Gaza Strip were made , but to no avail , '' the military said . `` The boarding was carried out following numerous calls to the activists on board and during different points at sea . Following their unwillingness to cooperate , and after ignoring calls to divert to the port of Ashdod , the decision was made to board the vessels and lead them there . '' Sailors `` took every precaution necessary to ensure the safety of the activists on board the vessels as well as themselves , '' the Israel Defense Forces said . Activists will be handed over to Israeli police and immigration authorities , the military said . According to the activist organizers , this mission was the eleventh attempt to run Israel 's blockade of Gaza by sea . Five missions arrived safely in Gaza between August and December 2008 , with the rest intercepted by Israel . The activists said Friday that `` ground support crews lost contact with two ships , the Saoirse of Ireland and the Tahrir of Canada . '' It said there are 27 civilian passengers . The boats are carrying medical supplies and letters of support for people in Gaza . The activists said the navy interrogated people on the Tahrir around 7:30 a.m. , when it was about 48 nautical miles from the Gaza coast . Thirteen minutes later , ground support crews lost contact with two ships . Asked by the Israeli Navy for their destination , Canadian activist Ehab Lotayef replied , `` The conscience of humanity , '' the activists ' said in a statement . When they repeated the question , asking for final destination , Lotayef said , `` The betterment of mankind . '' Kit Kittredge , an American traveling with the Tahrir , said Israelis made contact with the group and told them to change their radio channel . Kittredge said the group declined to do so . Late Thursday , two Israeli navy ships shadowed the ships before pulling back , the group said . The activists said the ships had been `` illegally boarded . '' `` It 's clear that 27 civilians on two small boats , carrying only medicine , constituted no security threat to the Israeli state , and that the determination to keep them out is only a furtherance of Israel 's policy of collective punishment , a crime against humanity , '' said Huwaida Arraf , spokeswoman for Freedom Waves to Gaza . `` Despite this Israeli aggression , we will keep coming , wave after wave , by air , sea , and land , to challenge Israel 's illegal policies towards Gaza and all of Palestine , '' Arraf said . `` Our movement will not stop or be stopped until Palestine is free . '' Jane Hirschmann , U.S. coordinator for the Freedom Waves to Gaza flotilla , said , `` Had the passengers been permitted to proceed to Gaza rather than being stopped on the high seas by armed force , there would have been no threat to their safety . The IDF 's statement is like the mugger promising to escort his victim home safely . '' Ann Wright , one of the organizers of the Freedom Flotilla that attempted to sail to Gaza last June , said , `` It 's a little hard to imagine how 27 unarmed civilians on two small boats carrying medicine and letters threaten Israel 's security . Israel is simply determined to maintain its policy of collective punishment against the 1.6 million civilians in Gaza . This is a crime against humanity and violation of international law . Despite Israel 's consistent use of military force against nonviolent protests and demonstrations , activists around the world will continue to challenge the occupation of Palestine and the blockade and Gaza . '' Passengers on the boats are from Canada , Ireland , the United States , Australia , and the Palestinian territories , the activists say . The flotillas have sparked international controversy . In 2010 , an Israeli raid on one flotilla ship , the Mavi Marmara , resulted in nine Turkish activists being killed , a development that led to the deterioration of relations between Israel and Turkey , once close allies . Israel was roundly criticized by many over the deaths . A U.N. report criticized Israel for its use of excessive force in the incident but described the blockade -- which activists call illegal -- as a `` legitimate security measure . '' Israel says it is concerned about the smuggling of arms to Gaza militants intent on attacking the Jewish state . Gaza is controlled by the anti-Israel Hamas militant group , regarded as a terrorist group by the United States and Israel , But activists say Israeli embargoes of goods into Gaza from land and sea are collective punishment of civilians in what is a tiny and densely populated strip of land along the Mediterranean coast . Israel has said any organization or state that wants to give humanitarian aid to Gaza can do so in coordination with Israeli authorities via existing land crossings into the Palestinian territory . CNN 's Kareem Khadder and Nicky Robertson contributed to this report .", "question": "Where will the ships be diverted to ?", "answer": "the port of Ashdod"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- Mental Floss -RRB- -- Have you ever wondered about the origins and namesakes of our favorite spreads , sauces , and dressings ? Here are a few stories that you can use to regale your friends the next time you chow down . Peppers were imported from the Mexican state of Tabasco to make spicy Tabasco sauce , giving the condiment its name . 1 . Thousand Island Dressing Is the delicious dressing that gives a Reuben its tanginess named after an actual chain of islands ? You bet it is . The Thousand Islands are an archipelago that sits in the Saint Lawrence River on the U.S.-Canada border , and there are actually 1,793 of them , some of which are so small that they contain nothing more than a single home . So why is the dressing named after an archipelago ? No one 's quite sure . Some people claim that early film star and vaudevillian May Irwin , who summered on the Thousand Islands , named it , while others contend that George Boldt , the famed proprietor of the Waldorf-Astoria , gave the dressing its name because of his own summer place in the region . No matter who named it , it 's tough to beat on a sandwich . 2 . Ranch Dressing Yep , the beloved dressing and dipping sauce actually got its start on a real ranch . When Steve and Gayle Henson opened a dude ranch in California in 1954 , they had an ace up their sleeves : a delicious dressing that Steve had concocted while the couple was living in Alaska . The couple did a nice business at their Hidden Valley Ranch , but guests were always flipping out over just how tasty Steve 's dressing was . Eventually , the Hensons started bottling the stuff , and the popularity grew so quickly that they had to hire a twelve-man crew just to help mix up each batch . Steve 's culinary creativity turned out to be lucrative ; in 1972 Clorox forked over $ 8 million for the recipe . Mental Floss : Foods named after people 3 . A1 Steak Sauce According to the brand 's Web site , A1 has been around for quite a while . Henderson William Brand worked as the personal chef for King George IV from 1824 to 1831 , and at some point during this employment mixed up a new sauce for the king to use on his beef . George IV allegedly took one bite of Brand 's creation and declared that it was `` A1 . '' Brand then left the king 's employ in order to go peddle his new sauce . 4 . Tabasco Sauce Tabasco sauce is perhaps the most famous of all hot sauces , but where did it get its name ? When Edmund McIlhenny , a former banker , invented the sauce in Louisiana in 1868 , he did n't have a huge supply of chili peppers at his disposal . To keep cooking , he imported peppers from the Mexican state of Tabasco and slapped the region 's name on his bottles . Mental Floss : The origins of salt , pepper and other popular spices 5 . Heinz 57 Legend has it that Heinz 57 takes its name from H.J. Heinz 's company formerly marketing 57 products at once , and except for the number , the story holds up . Heinz 's Web site tells a story that Henry John Heinz was riding a train when he saw a billboard advertising 21 varieties of shoes . He so liked the idea he wanted to try it with his own condiment company . Thus , he started touting Heinz 's 57 varieties . There was only one catch : Heinz marketed well over 60 products at the time . So where did the 57 come from ? Heinz thought the number was lucky . Five was Heinz 's lucky number , and seven was his wife 's . He mashed the charmed digits together , got 57 , and never looked back . 6 . Tartar Sauce Fish 's best friend is named after an alternate spelling of the word `` Tatar , '' which was how Western Europeans once referred to almost anyone of Mongolian or Turkic descent . Many of these Tatars/Tartars ran roughshod over Europe in the time of Genghis Khan , but they knew how to cook . One of the dishes they left behind , beef tartare , came back into fashion in 19th-century France . These helpings of steak tartare came with a number of garnishes , including the creamy white stuff that eventually became generically known as tartar sauce . Mental Floss : The history of utensils -LRB- spork included -RRB- 7 . Hollandaise Sauce Hollandaise , the lemon-butter-and-egg yumminess that Eggs Benedict ca n't live without , is n't actually Dutch . Instead , it 's one of the most well known French sauces . The sauce first appeared in French cooking in the 17th century , and is apparently named both because it somewhat resembles an old Dutch sauce and because the Dutch had such thriving butter and egg industries that provided two of the sauce 's main ingredients . For more mental_floss articles , visit mentalfloss.com", "question": "Is Hollandaise Dutch ?", "answer": "is n't actually"}, {"story_text": "Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- No decision has been made on whether to change the current plan to hold the September 11 terrorist attack trial in a civilian court in lower Manhattan , White House officials said Sunday . Last week , New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and other politicians expressed concern over the costs and disruption of holding the trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four accomplices at a New York City courthouse . David Axelrod , the senior adviser to President Obama , and White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Sunday that Obama believes the trial should take place in a criminal court instead of before a military commission , as permitted for some terrorism suspects . However , Axelrod and Gibbs acknowledged that Obama and the Justice Department were considering moving the trial from New York City . `` We 've made no decisions on that yet , '' Axelrod said on the NBC program `` Meet the Press . '' Gibbs , speaking on CNN 's `` State of the Union , '' also said the location of the trial was under discussion , but he expressed certainty that Mohammed , the alleged mastermind of the September 11 , 2001 , attacks , `` is going to meet justice and he 's going to meet his maker . '' Gibbs and Axelrod criticized Republican opposition to the plan to hold the trial in a criminal court , saying no one complained when the previous administration of Republican President George W. Bush put terrorism suspects such as `` shoe bomber '' Richard Reid on trial in U.S. criminal courts . `` Now we have a Democratic president and suddenly we hear these protests , '' Axelrod said . `` What has changed between now and then that would cause people to reverse positions ? '' Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Kentucky , told the CNN program that the Bush administration was wrong to hold terrorism trials on U.S. soil . Instead , trials for dangerous terrorism suspects should be held by military commissions at the Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , detention facility where they currently are held , McConnell said . Obama intends to shut down the Guantanamo facility by transferring the roughly 200 suspects to the United States to stand trial or face indefinite detention , or to third countries . McConnell said Sunday he would fight that plan by trying to withhold federal spending for it . '' ' I think that will be done on a bipartisan basis , '' McConnell said of congressional opposition , adding that `` whatever domestic support they had for this is totally collapsing . '' White House officials say the decision about any possible alternate sites to try Mohammed and the others will come from the Justice Department . New York police estimated that the cost to the city would be more than $ 200 million per year in what could be a multi-year trial and that more than 2,000 checkpoints would need to be installed around Lower Manhattan . Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said additional protection would have to be deployed for the city , not just `` the core area of Manhattan . '' Bloomberg initially supported the move , saying `` it is fitting that 9/11 suspects face justice near the World Trade Center site where so many New Yorkers were murdered . '' However , Bloomberg used different rhetoric last week when asked about a community agency 's proposals to relocate the trial , saying he would prefer the trial be held elsewhere , perhaps at a military base where it would be easier and cheaper to provide security . `` It 's going to cost an awful lot of money and disturb a lot of people , '' Bloomberg said . On Thursday , several New York Democratic politicians urged the Obama administration to thoroughly re-examine locating the trial in downtown Manhattan . Julie Menin , chairwoman of a city community advisory agency , proposed four alternative locations for the trial within the Southern District of New York : Governors Island , Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh , the U.S. Military Academy at West Point , and the Bureau of Prisons jail complex at FCI Otisville . The latter three are in Orange County , New York , less than an hour from New York City , county executive Edward Diana told CNN . Diana thinks the trials should not be held anywhere in New York , and definitely not in Orange County , which lost 44 residents in the terror attacks , he said . `` I 've contacted my legal department and I 'll tell you I 'll do whatever it takes to stop those trials from coming here , even if it means closing down our roads , '' Diana said . `` I 'll sue the federal government if need be . '' Diana said he 'd be worried about the safety of Orange County residents if the trial comes there . Diana , who shot down an offer from Newburgh to host the proceedings in their new courthouse , said the suspects should not be tried in civilian courts . But Newburgh Mayor Nick Valentine said the boost in media presence and police funding during the trial would help his `` very poor , very urban '' city . Newburgh 's new $ 22 million courthouse is safe and has `` every security you could want , '' Valentine said . An alternate proposal at the West Point location has not been fully reviewed . A West Point spokesman said no one has officially requested a review of demands for such a trial , which would require in-depth study of legal and security concerns . U.S. Attorney 's Office spokesman Dean Boyd said the Justice Department `` can safely prosecute this case in the Southern District of New York while minimizing disruptions to the community to the greatest extent possible , consistent with security needs . '' New York Gov. David Paterson will meet with the U.S. Marshal Service on Monday to discuss possible 9/11 trial locations in the state , Paterson spokeswoman Marissa Shorenstein told CNN . CNN 's Susan Candiotti and Ross Levitt contributed to this report .", "question": "Cost to the city would be more than how much ?", "answer": "200 million per year"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Philippine government said Tuesday that fresh rain in Visayas and Mindanao could set off flash floods and landslides , bringing the potential for more misery in places already struggling to recover from a deadly tropical storm . Eastern Luzon will experience cloudy skies with scattered rain , while the rest of the island will have mostly cloudy skies with light rain , the Philippine National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council -LRB- NDRRMC -RRB- predicted . On Tuesday , the national government offered a new death toll -- 1,453 -- then revised it again based on a count by Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council . The lower count means the death toll from the storm that lashed the southern Philippines more than a week remained unchanged from Monday : 1,249 . The bodies of people swept out to sea by flash floods from the storm have washed up on nearby beaches and islands , Maj. Reynaldo Balido , the military assistant for operations at the Office of Civil Defense , said Monday . The authorities have enlisted the help of local fishermen to help the continuing search and rescue efforts for the scores of people who remain missing , Balido said by telephone from the island of Mindanao , the scene of the worst devastation . He added that the fishermen volunteered , since many of them had lost friends and relatives in the disaster . The unusually heavy rains of Tropical Storm Washi , which churned across the southern Philippines between December 16 and 18 , resulted in landslides and flash floods that swept away whole villages . The authorities have had to carry out mass burials in order to deal with the large numbers of dead . `` I 've gone through many disasters but this one is the worst as some of the survivors have lost so many family members , '' said Richard Gordon , chairman of the Philippine Red Cross . `` Some have lost as many as 30 relatives , '' he said in comments posted recently on the organization 's website . The number of people injured as a result of the storm has more than doubled to 4,594 from 1,979 at the weekend , according to the NDRRMC putting more pressure on already stretched relief agencies The United Nations said last week that the storm has created `` huge '' humanitarian needs in the region . It has made an appeal to raise $ 28 million to deal with the immediate problems , with tens of thousands of people displaced in and around the port cities of Iligan and Cagayan de Oro . Many people are lacking food , shelter and clean drinking water , the United Nations said . `` We have also established make-shift camps and relief centers for victims in local schools in the area , but because schools are opening on January 3 , we are looking to find them more permanent shelter , '' Benito Ramos , head of the NDRRMC , said . The storm , known locally as Sendong , has affected more than 700,000 people in the region , the NDRRMC estimated Tuesday . President Benigno Aquino of the Philippines has declared a state of national calamity following the storm . CNN 's Jethro Mullen and Aliza Kassim contributed to this report .", "question": "Where are flash floods and landslides possible ?", "answer": "Visayas and Mindanao"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- More than two dozen times in the past three years , authorities came to Phillip and Nancy Garrido 's ramshackle home at 1554 Walnut Ave. in Antioch , California , a rural property where Jaycee Dugard is said to have been confined for 18 years . Jaycee Dugard was locked in a shed tucked under a blue tarp in her alleged captor 's backyard . And each time , they left without learning of the secret shed where Dugard lived . The Garridos have pleaded not guilty to charges of abduction and forcible rape . They are being held without bail in the Contra Costa County Jail in Martinez , California . After she was abducted in June 1991 , at age 11 , Dugard 's disappearance spawned a massive search that continued , on and off , for almost two decades . Federal agents remained committed to the case , chasing thousands of leads . But they apparently never had the Garridos on their radar . The case of the missing girl evoked deep emotions that rippled across the South Lake Tahoe community . Strangers threw fundraisers and parades to raise money for search efforts . Friends and neighbors wore T-shirts bearing images of Dugard 's smiling face to give the case exposure . Elementary school students toted signs that encouraged the community to stay committed to the hunt for their classmate . All they wanted was to find little Jaycee Lee Dugard . And for some of that time , authorities were visiting the home of the couple now accused of abducting her . Watch an FBI agent talk about why clues were missed '' Interviews with public officials show that parole officers , law enforcement officials and firefighters visited the Garrido household but left without realizing that the kidnapped girl had grown to adulthood and was living in a soundproof shed hidden in the backyard . Two Dozen Contacts There were at least 16 visits from parole officers and seven by the fire department . There was also one by the sheriff 's office responding to an allegation that people were living in the backyard . State and local authorities have now begun internal investigations to find out why none of these visits uncovered the existence of Dugard , now 29 , and her children , Starlet , 15 , and Angel , 11 . Their makeshift home of tents , tarps and sheds was tucked behind a 6-foot wall at the rear of the Garrido property . `` I feel confident the sheriff will use this as an example of how to do things better , '' said Federal Glover , a district supervisor for Contra Costa County who also heads the community 's public safety committee . `` From this lesson , we will not have this type of missed opportunity occur again . '' One of the first red flags authorities might have caught was in 1993 , two years after the kidnapping . Garrido , who had been released from prison after serving 11 years for a 1976 kidnapping , violated his parole in April 1993 . It is unclear what he did or how the violation was flagged . As a result , he was placed in federal prison for one month and then released on house arrest for three months . He returned to the Antioch home , where he lived with his wife and his elderly mother . Violation Was n't Reported to Nevada But the parole violation was never reported to the state of Nevada , where the first kidnapping and rape had occurred , said Gail Powell , a spokeswoman for the Nevada Department of Public Safety . `` The state of Nevada would have taken some action , '' Powell said . `` I do n't know what , but some action could have meant putting him back in prison , pulling him off parole . '' In 1999 , the California Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections agreed to take responsibility and authority for supervising Garrido 's parole because he resided in that state . Garrido 's most recent parole agent visited the home at least twice a month since December , according to California corrections officials . Sometimes the visits were unannounced , said Gordon Hinkle , a department spokesman . Parole officers also checked on Garrido frequently before 2008 , Hinkle said , but he did not know how often or how many parole officers visited Garrido 's residence . The parole agent who most recently entered Garrido 's backyard did n't notice any children 's toys or items to indicate that minors were living in the house . The agent saw a shed but assumed it belonged to a neighbor . `` There was a deceptive false impression , '' Hinkle said . `` If you were to be on the property walking around , you would have seen a big fence . '' Parole Officers Carry Big Caseloads Hinkle said the parole officer performed his duties appropriately . The parole officer was also responsible for raising suspicions when two University of California Berkeley officers notified him that Phillip Garrido came in with his `` daughters . '' The parole officer called the Garridos in for questioning . California has one of the highest parolee-to-officer ratios in the country . State budget cuts are expected to strain the department this year , which could mean reducing the number of parole officers , Hinkle said . The officer assigned to supervise Garrido was also responsible for 39 other sex offenders . As recently as June , two months before Dugard was discovered with the Garridos , Contra Costa County firefighters responded to a fire on the property . They doused a car engine that had exploded into flames at the rear of the property , said department spokeswoman Emily Hopkins . They spent two hours there and then left . They also visited Garrido 's property in fall 2007 , after a neighbor reported fire coming from the backyard . In addition , they responded twice in 2008 and three times in 2009 to medical emergencies involving Garrido 's elderly mother , Patricia Franzen . Fire department officials were n't sure whether more visits were made to the home , because computerized records date only to 2006 . Neighbors Steered Clear Neighbors who had encounters with Garrido said they did n't take the time to get to know him . Some said they knew that he was a sex offender , so they steered away from his house . Others ignored him because they thought he was strange . Betty Unpingco invited the entire neighborhood to her son 's graduation party in spring 2006 . She said Garrido attended and brought speakers for the party . When Unpingco and several adults noticed him talking to the high school girls , they asked him to leave . Later that night , she said , when they saw him waiting outside his home to speak to the girls , the adults escorted them home . Feeling uneasy after the party , Unpingco checked the sex offender registry and found Garrido 's picture . `` It was just so bizarre , '' said Unpingco , who has 10 children . `` I warned my children to stay away from him and to always walk in twos . '' She did not notify police . In November 2006 , another neighbor did call police , saying she saw people living in tents behind the Garridos ' house . Contra Costa County Sheriff Warren E. Rupf said he did n't think the deputy who responded knew at the time that Garrido was a sex offender . The deputy spoke to Garrido in his front yard about the allegations , but Garrido convinced him otherwise .", "question": "Who checked up on Garrido at least twice a month ?", "answer": "most recent parole agent"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Major conflict could return to southern parts of Sudan unless international action bolsters a faltering peace accord , ten aid agencies said in a report released Thursday . A resumption of conflict between north and south in Sudan , meanwhile , would make a sustainable peace impossible in Darfur , a region of western Sudan that has been the scene of what the U.S. calls genocide , the aid groups said . `` It is not yet too late to avert disaster , but the next 12 months are a crossroads for Africa 's largest country , '' said Maya Mailer , policy advisor for Oxfam International and the report 's co-author . The warnings were underscored by news Thursday of a clash that killed scores in Southern Sudan , the latest instance of tribal violence among southerners that has alarmed the United Nations . Locals said fierce fighting in Warap State , one of the most remote regions of the south , killed 140 people , wounded 90 , and led to the theft of tens of thousands of cattle early this month or in late December , the United Nations said . `` The human toll is massive -- hundreds if not thousands displaced . The death toll is massive , '' said Lisa Grande , a top U.N. humanitarian official in Southern Sudan . `` These attacks are a matter of great concern . '' Resurgent tribal violence in the south also concerned the 10 aid groups . They released their report , `` Rescuing the Peace in Southern Sudan , '' two days before the fifth anniversary of a 2005 peace deal that ended a grinding war between the Sudanese government and southern rebels in the Sudan People 's Liberation Movement . They said that peace deal is `` on the brink of collapse . '' That war pitted a northern government of Arab Muslims against southern blacks who follow Christianity and traditional African religions . It killed 2 million people and forced several million others from their homes . The peace deal conferred limited autonomy on southern Sudan and ended one of Africa 's longest and deadliest wars even as a separate conflict that erupted in 2003 raged in Darfur , killing roughly 200,000 , the United Nations says . Despite the peace deal , violence in the south increased last year , Mailer said , and it could escalate further to become one of the biggest emergencies in Africa this year . About 2,500 people were killed and 350,000 fled their homes in southern Sudan last year , the aid agencies said . Many died in tribal violence between southerners . Outside countries have ignored the problem and have not provided sufficient help , the agencies said . The United Nations says more people have been killed in southern Sudan in 2009 than in Darfur , where a separate conflict drew international attention , prompted charges of genocide and led the International Criminal Court to indict the Sudanese president , Omar Hassan al-Bashir , for war crimes . Some southerners blame their former enemies in the north for instigating violence in the south . As the south plans to participate in national elections in April , many southerners say the north has hindered access to registration materials , logistical support and voter education , the United Nations said . The north denies those charges , but they 're among the reasons that analysts worry about an outbreak of north-south violence in a region already buckling under the weight of corruption , cattle rustling and revenge attacks . Sudan needs diplomatic involvement from neighboring countries and the international community to help secure the 2005 peace agreement , said Paul Valentin , international director of Christian Aid , one of the agencies that produced the report . `` A return to war is by no means inevitable , but it depends whether the world heeds the warning signs of the past year and has the political will to save the peace , '' Valentin added . Other agencies that produced the report include the International Rescue Committee , Save the Children and World Vision . The report urges the U.N. Security Council to ensure that protecting civilians becomes a core priority for a peacekeeping force in Sudan . The agencies also called on the international community to mediate between the northern and southern parties before the national elections -- the country 's first multi-party elections in 24 years -- and before a referendum on independence , which is scheduled for early next year . Southern Sudan is roughly the size of Texas but has only 30 miles of paved roads and few health facilities . It is so underdeveloped that the U.N. says a 15-year-old girl in the south is more likely to die in childbirth than finish school . `` After five years of peace , southern Sudan remains one of the poorest regions on earth . People hoped the peace would bring economic benefits and development , but this has happened far too slowly and in some areas not at all , '' said Francisco Roque , country director of Save the Children in South Sudan . `` We are very worried about children who seem to be increasingly targeted in attacks on villages , '' he said . `` International donors and the government must urgently improve aid to these areas . ''", "question": "What should be the main goal of the U.N. peacekeepers ?", "answer": "protecting civilians"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Delta Air Lines and American Airlines announced Thursday the cancellations of hundreds of flights so the companies can conduct inspections on bundles of wires in some of their jets . Delta cancellations will affect flights up until early Friday , according to a statement from the airline . The cancellations will affect flights through Friday , according to statements by both companies . A spokeswoman for Delta earlier said 325 flights would be canceled Thursday , but later said 275 flights were cut . `` Delta apologizes in advance for any inconvenience this may cause and is working to proactively contact and reaccommodate affected customers . Customers should call ahead to check flight status , '' a Delta statement said . Wednesday , American Airlines canceled 318 flights , said company spokesman Tim Wagner . The airline canceled 132 of its estimated 2,300 flights scheduled for Thursday , Wagner said , about 6 percent of the daily schedule . The cancellations forced dozens of people to spend the night in the atrium of Atlanta 's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport . They slept wherever they could -- on couches , on the floor , some on non-moving baggage carousels . Kelly said the airline rebooked flights and covered the cost of hotel and food for passengers on canceled flights . It was initially believed that Delta 's MD-90 planes were part of the inspection but it was determined that the MD-88 planes were the only ones that needed to be inspected , a spokeswoman said . The airline said the checks are voluntary and are expected to be completed by week 's end . American Airlines , meanwhile , is examining wiring secured to its MD-80 aircraft . In Atlanta , the cancellations caused grousing among passengers who missed job interviews , connecting flights and the comfort of their beds , CNN affiliate WXIA reported . `` They told us 6:45 -LRB- p.m. -RRB- . Then they told us 7:30 . Then 8 , so on and so forth and they just canceled , '' passenger Fred Billizon told WXIA . `` So they had about 200 people just waiting on flights . And that 's not a lot of happy people . '' This latest round of inspections was prompted by questions raised by the FAA and American safety officials about how a certain bundle of wires is secured to the MD-80 aircraft . The MD-80 is the workhorse of the American fleet . American 's Web site says the aircraft accounts for 300 of the airline 's fleet of 655 jets . The jet debuted in 1980 from McDonnell-Douglas , which was purchased by rival Boeing in 1997 . Boeing discontinued production of the aircraft in 1999 . E-mail to a friend", "question": "where Delta cancelations only ?", "answer": "and American Airlines"}, {"story_text": "Moscow -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Russian election authorities officially registered Prime Minister Vladimir Putin Monday as a candidate for president in next year 's election , they announced on their website . Putin will represent his United Russia party , the Central Election Commission said . The move is the latest step toward Putin 's reclaiming the presidency after switching to the prime minister 's office because of a law barring him from serving more than two consecutive terms as president . Russia 's third-richest man , the billionaire New Jersey Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov , announced this month that he will run against Putin for president . Many ordinary Russians suspect the Kremlin put Prokhorov up to it to give the impression the contest is fair . Last week , Putin brushed off widespread criticism that the December 4 parliamentary elections in Russia were falsified . He said their results `` reflect the actual line-up of forces in the country , as well as the fact that the ruling force -- the United Russia party -- has lost certain positions . '' Tens of thousands turned out to protest the election results that returned Putin 's United Russia party to power , but with a smaller majority . Police estimated crowds in Moscow on December 10 at 25,000 , while organizers said the total was 40,000 , the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported . Either figure would make the protests the largest in the Russian capital in 20 years . Claiming the results of parliamentary elections were rigged , protesters chanted `` Putin out . '' They also braved freezing temperatures in other Russian cities to demonstrate against what they said was vote fraud . Putin said in his question-and-answer session that protesters were positioning themselves for the presidential vote in March . `` It is obvious to me that the attacks on the latest election are secondary ; their primary goal is the next election , the Russian presidential election , '' Putin said December 15 . The Organization for Security and Cooperation said in a preliminary report that some political parties had been prevented from running and the vote was `` slanted in favor of the ruling party . '' Its election-observer mission detailed alleged attempts to stuff ballot boxes , manipulate voter lists and harass election monitors . Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also said the United States had `` serious concerns '' about the election and called for a `` full investigation '' of apparent irregularities .", "question": "Who says he will run against Putin ?", "answer": "Mikhail Prokhorov"}, {"story_text": "LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The decision to make `` Che '' was an easy one , Benicio Del Toro says . Filming the movie was anything but . Benicio Del Toro stars as Latin American revolutionary Ernesto `` Che '' Guevara . `` I have to say it probably is the most difficult movie I 've ever made , and I 've made a few , '' Del Toro says of his starring role in director Steven Soderbergh 's Spanish-language biopic . One of Hollywood 's most bankable stars , Del Toro has made a name for himself playing dark and brooding characters in movies like `` 21 Grams , '' `` The Usual Suspects , '' and `` Traffic , '' for which he won an Oscar . He now adds to that list the role of revolutionary Ernesto `` Che '' Guevara , an Argentine doctor whose role in the Cuban Revolution in the 1950s vaulted him to cult status where he remains today . To play the Latin American revolutionary , Del Toro says he had to start with the man himself rather than invent a character . He read what Che wrote and interviewed a range of people , including those who knew him when he was a child , as well as those who were there in his last days . And then there were the countless photos of the iconic and controversial leader which he pored over . Looking at the pictures , seeing the attitude that he had in the photographs , '' he says , `` I learned a lot from the photographs . '' The meticulous study pays off on screen . Del Toro delivers a soulful performance that has earned him accolades . He won the Best Actor award at Cannes this year and he is being hotly tipped for another Oscar nod . Which films and actors do you think are contenders for this year 's Oscars ? Share your picks in the SoundOff below . Che 's life `` is what movies are made of , '' Del Toro told CNN . The incredible story , along with the opportunity to work with Soderbergh , who directed him in 2000 's `` Traffic , '' for a second time drew him to the project . The 41-year-old bilingual actor was born in Puerto Rico but grew up in Pennsylvania . It was n't until he was in his early 20s and wandered into a bookstore in Mexico City that he discovered Che . `` I bought a compilation of his letters that he had written to his family and I read that book . I did n't know anything about this guy , so that started my journey , '' he recalls . See how the movie was received in Cuba '' `` Che '' is split into two parts -- `` The Argentine '' and `` Guerrilla . '' When shown in its entirety , the movie clocks in at a staggering 257 minutes . Part one charts Che 's rise from young idealist to revolutionary hero during the Cuban Revolution . Part two depicts his efforts to bring change to all of Latin America and focuses on his campaign in Bolivia , where he died . Shot in various locations ranging from the jungles of Bolivia to Mexico 's Yucatan Peninsula , filming was grueling . `` In this film , we went pretty fast , '' Del Toro says . `` We went really fast . '' Soderbergh wanted to film using only natural light , and production moved rapidly . On some days , Del Toro recounts , they only had 15 or 30 minutes to capture a scene . One day of filming felt like a whole week of work , he says . `` The way I felt on a Monday in this movie is the equivalent to how I felt at the end of the week of another movie . '' Del Toro , who also co-produced the movie , is n't complaining though . He speaks with pride about the effort the cast and crew put in to the moviemaking process , which he describes as `` hit and run . '' `` Che '' is being released in two parts , but the epic is best viewed in its entirety , Del Toro says . `` You 'll get the full experience of what we went through , of the two movies together as one . '' The full-length version of `` Che '' will have a limited opening in the U.S. on Dec. 12 . It is scheduled to be released in separate parts in the UK on Jan. 2 .", "question": "How long is the film ?", "answer": "257 minutes"}, {"story_text": "JEDDAH , Saudi Arabia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Saudi King Abdullah confirmed Sunday that his country will increase daily oil production from 9 million barrels to 9.7 million in the near future to counter the sharp rise in international oil prices . Saudi Arabia has announced an increase in oil production in a bid to ease the pressure on oil prices . The Saudi petroleum minister , Ali I. Al-Naimi , said the country will reach the 9.7 million level by July . The announcement comes after Saudi officials announced modest increases . It would be Saudi Arabia 's highest production rate since 1981 . White House Deputy Press Secretary Tony Fratto praised the step , saying , `` Any increase in production in today 's oil market is welcome . It is important that we also take steps to increase domestic production and our refining capacity . '' Meanwhile , the average price of gasoline in the U.S. rose nearly 10 cents in the past two weeks to almost $ 4.10 a gallon for self-serve regular , according to a national survey released Sunday . The survey showed the national average was just a fraction of a cent under $ 4.10 a gallon , said survey publisher Trilby Lundberg . That is up 9.7 cents a gallon from the same survey two weeks ago , Lundberg said . Sen. Charles Schumer , D-New York , downplayed the Saudi increase . `` Nice try , but no cigar . When gas is at $ 4 per gallon , demand increases almost daily , and the Saudis have millions of barrels per day more in spare capacity , '' he said . `` This is n't nearly good enough . '' Al-Naimi , the petroleum minister , also said the Saudi government will invest in oil projects that would allow Saudi Arabia to have the capacity to produce 12.5 million barrels per day by the end of next year . King Abdullah 's announcement came at the end of the Jeddah energy summit , where he also called for OPEC to set aside $ 1 billion for a strategy to ease the oil price crisis . He said $ 500 million should be given to developing nations to help them get the energy they need . King Abdullah said there are `` many factors that made oil prices high . '' Along with increased demand , he also cited oil speculators and an increase in taxes in consumer nations . `` Now we see a lot of people point the finger at OPEC as it is solely responsible for this , '' he said . The king 's statement came a day after U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman , attending the summit , blamed the record oil prices on lack of production . `` All nations must be better at conservation , and the U.S. is at the top of that list , '' said Bodman , who met with journalists ahead of the international meeting of oil producing and consuming nations focusing on high oil prices . Some observers have blamed speculators for driving up oil prices . A key adviser to Saudi Arabia 's oil minister said Friday that a number of factors , including speculators and currency fluctuations , are to blame for rising oil prices . `` We need stability , '' Dr. Ibrahim al Muhanna said , adding that Saudi Arabia would like to see producers , consumers and distributors cooperate . But Bodman said he did not believe that they are the cause . Since 2003 , he said , global demand for oil has increased because of industry in China , India and the Middle East . But from 2005 to 2007 , there was very little increase in supply . Nations need an additional supply of energy to market , whether that energy is nuclear , coal , fossil fuels , solar or wind power , Bodman said . `` We spent 30 years digging ourselves into this hole , '' he said . `` It wo n't be solved soon . '' On Wednesday , President Bush asked Congress to permit drilling for oil in deep water off the U.S. coast to combat rising oil prices . He also renewed his demand that Congress allow oil drilling in Alaska 's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge , clear the way for more refineries and encourage efforts to recover oil from shale in areas like the Green River Basin , which encompasses parts of Colorado , Utah and Wyoming . `` In the short run , the American economy will continue to rely largely on oil , and that means we need to increase supply here at home , '' Bush said in a Rose Garden statement .", "question": "what is the oil production", "answer": "9.7 million"}, {"story_text": "JEDDAH , Saudi Arabia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Saudi King Abdullah confirmed Sunday that his country will increase daily oil production from 9 million barrels to 9.7 million in the near future to counter the sharp rise in international oil prices . Saudi Arabia has announced an increase in oil production in a bid to ease the pressure on oil prices . The Saudi petroleum minister , Ali I. Al-Naimi , said the country will reach the 9.7 million level by July . The announcement comes after Saudi officials announced modest increases . It would be Saudi Arabia 's highest production rate since 1981 . White House Deputy Press Secretary Tony Fratto praised the step , saying , `` Any increase in production in today 's oil market is welcome . It is important that we also take steps to increase domestic production and our refining capacity . '' Meanwhile , the average price of gasoline in the U.S. rose nearly 10 cents in the past two weeks to almost $ 4.10 a gallon for self-serve regular , according to a national survey released Sunday . The survey showed the national average was just a fraction of a cent under $ 4.10 a gallon , said survey publisher Trilby Lundberg . That is up 9.7 cents a gallon from the same survey two weeks ago , Lundberg said . Sen. Charles Schumer , D-New York , downplayed the Saudi increase . `` Nice try , but no cigar . When gas is at $ 4 per gallon , demand increases almost daily , and the Saudis have millions of barrels per day more in spare capacity , '' he said . `` This is n't nearly good enough . '' Al-Naimi , the petroleum minister , also said the Saudi government will invest in oil projects that would allow Saudi Arabia to have the capacity to produce 12.5 million barrels per day by the end of next year . King Abdullah 's announcement came at the end of the Jeddah energy summit , where he also called for OPEC to set aside $ 1 billion for a strategy to ease the oil price crisis . He said $ 500 million should be given to developing nations to help them get the energy they need . King Abdullah said there are `` many factors that made oil prices high . '' Along with increased demand , he also cited oil speculators and an increase in taxes in consumer nations . `` Now we see a lot of people point the finger at OPEC as it is solely responsible for this , '' he said . The king 's statement came a day after U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman , attending the summit , blamed the record oil prices on lack of production . `` All nations must be better at conservation , and the U.S. is at the top of that list , '' said Bodman , who met with journalists ahead of the international meeting of oil producing and consuming nations focusing on high oil prices . Some observers have blamed speculators for driving up oil prices . A key adviser to Saudi Arabia 's oil minister said Friday that a number of factors , including speculators and currency fluctuations , are to blame for rising oil prices . `` We need stability , '' Dr. Ibrahim al Muhanna said , adding that Saudi Arabia would like to see producers , consumers and distributors cooperate . But Bodman said he did not believe that they are the cause . Since 2003 , he said , global demand for oil has increased because of industry in China , India and the Middle East . But from 2005 to 2007 , there was very little increase in supply . Nations need an additional supply of energy to market , whether that energy is nuclear , coal , fossil fuels , solar or wind power , Bodman said . `` We spent 30 years digging ourselves into this hole , '' he said . `` It wo n't be solved soon . '' On Wednesday , President Bush asked Congress to permit drilling for oil in deep water off the U.S. coast to combat rising oil prices . He also renewed his demand that Congress allow oil drilling in Alaska 's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge , clear the way for more refineries and encourage efforts to recover oil from shale in areas like the Green River Basin , which encompasses parts of Colorado , Utah and Wyoming . `` In the short run , the American economy will continue to rely largely on oil , and that means we need to increase supply here at home , '' Bush said in a Rose Garden statement .", "question": "where will the summit be held", "answer": "JEDDAH , Saudi Arabia"}, {"story_text": "HAVANA , Cuba -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In a major shake-up the likes of which Cubans have not seen for decades , President Raul Castro on Monday reorganized his Cabinet , replacing longtime aides to his brother Fidel , who resigned from office a year ago , citing poor health . Cuban President Raul Castro is moving his own people into power , analysts say . Some analysts said the changes appear to be an attempt by Raul Castro to put his own supporters into positions of power . Among the changes : Felipe Perez Roque , the 43-year-old foreign minister , was replaced by his deputy , Bruno Rodriguez Aprilla . Carlos Lage Davila , an economist , lost his job as Cabinet secretary , but no mention was made of removing him from his other post as vice president of the Council of State . Lage , who helped guide the nation through its `` special period '' of dire economic times in the aftermath of the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the loss of billions in subsidies , was replaced by Brig. Gen. Jose Amado Ricardo Guerra ; Raul Castro is also commander in chief of the armed forces . `` It looks like Raul putting some of his own people in , '' said Wayne Smith , director of the Cuba program at the Center for International Policy in Washington , who led the U.S. Interests Section in Havana during the Carter administration . Smith noted that Cuba 's government underwent `` quite a few shake-ups after the revolution first came in '' in 1959 , but said Monday 's move `` is the biggest shake-up that I 've seen in a very long time ... for the last 30 or 40 years . '' `` This is obviously a major move , '' concurred Vicki Huddleston , who led the Interests Section during the administrations of Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush , and is a visiting scholar at the Brookings Institution in Washington . '' -LSB- There is -RSB- nothing like this that I can recall since the late 1960s . '' She noted that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez met with both Castro brothers during a visit late in February to Havana , on what Granma described as a `` work visit , '' and speculated that Raul Castro may have asked him then to buy in on the changes . `` They really need Chavez to be on board , because without the subsidized oil from Venezuela , they 're dead , '' Huddleston said . With the Cuban economy hamstrung by the world economy , Raul Castro may have decided it is time for him to make reforms of his own without worrying about second-guessing by his brother or his brother 's allies , she said . Huddleston speculated that the changes could portend the government once again allowing private enterprise to flourish in Cuba . Communist leader Fidel Castro experimented with that during the 1990s , but pulled back . `` It represents a significant step by Raul Castro to gain autonomy and , essentially , distance himself from Fidel 's old gang , '' said Larry Birns , director of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs . `` In other words , he feels confident enough that he has an independent base of power . '' He said Raul Castro 's moves to date have proven popular not only with his party members , but also with the general population . Still , Raul Castro should not take that support for granted , Birns said . `` It may be that , if he makes too many moves , the party will feel that their privileges are being taken away , and that will make them unhappy . '' Otto Reich , who served as assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs during the George W. Bush administration , said he was withholding judgment . `` It 's a little early to tell what this really means , '' he said . `` Some people are saying the Fidelistas are being replaced by the Raulistas . But the other side is : Are we talking about rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic ? '' The state-run newspaper Granma published an official notice from the State Council that said the changes were intended to form a structure that is `` more compact and functional , with fewer organisms of the central administration of the state and a better distribution of the functions that they carry out . '' CNN 's Morgan Neill and Shasta Darlington in Havana , Tom Watkins and Arthur Brice contributed to this story .", "question": "This is the biggest shakeup in how many years ?", "answer": "last 30 or 40 years"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Rutgers University has suspended a sorority after police charged six of its members in a hazing investigation . The North Carolina-based headquarters of the Sigma Gamma Rho sorority also suspended the chapter at Rutgers , in New Brunswick , New Jersey . That means the sorority has ceased to be officially recognized and can accept no new recruits while the investigation is under way . Police have charged six sorority members with aggravated hazing , which a police spokesman Friday called a possible `` indictable offense . '' Rutgers Police Lt. Richard Dinan said the six women were taken to the Middlesex County Adult Correctional Facility , and bail was set at $ 1,500 for each . At least four of the woman have posted bail , he said . He declined to give details of the alleged hazing , but said one woman sought medical attention for non-life-threatening injuries . Dinan told The Star-Ledger newspaper in Newark Wednesday that there were at least three victims , but police may identify more victims and more suspects . He said four sorority members were arrested Tuesday and two more on Wednesday . He said the hazing occurred at a university student apartment building , but he declined to give the location . The hazing began about the middle of January and went on for eight days , he said . Dinan also told the newspaper that the alleged victims were `` unofficial pledges '' because the alleged hazing did not occur during the university 's recognized pledge period . Sigma Gamma Rho is a recognized sorority , but it does not have a sorority house in New Brunswick , Dinan said . The police officer said five of the undergraduates charged were from New Jersey : Vanessa Adegbite , 21 , of Jersey City ; Joana Bernard , 21 , of West Orange ; Kesha Cheron , 20 , of Newark ; Shawna Ebanks , 21 , of East Orange ; and Marie Charles , 21 , of West Orange . Llana Warner , 20 , is from New York City . E. J. Miranda , a spokesman for Rutgers , said a student and her parents reported the alleged hazing to the university administration Tuesday . According to the university 's statement , `` After receiving this information , university officials contacted the police . '' Miranda said he did n't know whether the sorority had had similar reports before . According to Rutgers , the university `` strictly prohibits all forms of hazing . Under the Code of Student Conduct , a student found to have engaged in hazing may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including expulsion . ''", "question": "What is the name of the sorority ?", "answer": "the Sigma Gamma Rho"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama built his push for a sweeping overhaul of the health care system on the premise that reform is essential for economic recovery . President Obama has said overhauling health care is a key part of economic recovery . But with some economists saying the recession shows signs of ending , will that weaken Obama 's argument ? `` If the economy is picking up , then more people are going to get jobs and more people are going to have health insurance , and so they are going to be less concerned with health care reform because they will figure , ` I 'm taken care of , ' '' said Michael Cannon , director of health policy studies at the Cato Institute , a libertarian think tank . But Julian Epstein , a Democratic strategist , said a recovering economy will help Obama 's push for health care legislation because `` it will be a huge shot in the arm for Obama 's political capital . '' `` It lessens people 's anxieties that are being stirred up by the opponents of health care reform . It gives credibility to the argument that government has an appropriate role to play in solving the nation 's problems , '' Epstein said . Obama ran on a campaign to fix the health care system , and since taking office , the president repeatedly has tried to show how this overhaul fits into his broader economic strategy . In a speech in June before the American Medical Association , Obama warned that inaction could have dire consequences . `` Make no mistake : The cost of our health care is a threat to our economy . It is an escalating burden on our families and businesses . It is a ticking time bomb for the federal budget . And it is unsustainable for the United States of America , '' he said . While the president has said health care is his top domestic priority this year , the public seems to disagree . Eighty-three percent of people are satisfied with their current health care , and 74 percent are satisfied with their health insurance , according to a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll released last week . `` Health care reform has not been the top priority for voters . No. 1 is jobs . No. 2 is the deficit and government spending . Health care is third , '' said Bill Schneider , CNN 's senior political analyst . But Diana Owen , an associate professor of political science and director of American studies at Georgetown University , said the public is n't as concerned about the economics-driven case to overhaul health care . `` I personally think that the vast majority of the public does n't get that connection between the economy and health care . I think they 're seeing it more as a personal issue -- something that could affect them , their families , their friends , '' she said , noting that because people have an emotional involvement in the debate , the public is not likely to let it drop . That personal anxiety has manifested itself at town hall meetings across the country , where , angry protesters and other citizens have showed up to voice their doubts to their lawmakers . Voters have asked their lawmakers what reform means for them -- and how they can be assured that Obama 's proposals are good ideas . The August congressional recess , however , could end up being a blessing in disguise for Democrats , Epstein said . `` It may persuade enough of them that they do need to be more moderate and incremental in the approach , and they may actually come up with a package that is even more popular than what would have otherwise been , had they tried to get the bill through before August , '' he said . If the economy recovers , plenty of Republicans and even a few Democrats will remind voters that Obama was wrong about the importance of reform to economic recovery , Schneider said . `` What will Obama say ? That the recovery can not be sustained over the long term without health care reform . '' Obama sent a similar message in his radio address last weekend , citing the slightly better than expected job numbers as `` a sign that we 've begun to put the brakes on this recession and that the worst may be behind us . '' `` But we must do more than rescue our economy from this immediate crisis ; we must rebuild it stronger than before . We must lay a new foundation for future growth and prosperity , and a key pillar of a new foundation is health insurance reform -- reform that we are now closer to achieving than ever before , '' he said . But even if the effort does take on a lower profile , it could still have real consequences for Democrats , as it did 15 years ago , Schneider said . President Clinton 's push to overhaul health care failed , and the issue faded from the agenda as the economy recovered , but the ramifications were felt in the next election cycle . `` Clinton had to scale back his agenda . His big ideas for health care reform turned into protecting ` the safety net . ' And , of course , the Democrats lost control of Congress in 1994 for the first time in 40 years , and it took them another 12 years to get it back , '' Schneider said .", "question": "What goes hand in hand ?", "answer": "economy and health care"}, {"story_text": "Lagos , Nigeria -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Nigeria 's ailing president has broken two months of silence to assure his countrymen that contrary to speculation he is alive and intending to return to power soon . President Umaru Musa Yar ` Adua this week gave his first media interview since being admitted to a hospital in Saudi Arabia in late November where he is being treated for acute pericarditis , an inflammation of tissue around the heart . His absence has created a power vacuum in Africa 's most populous country , as Yar ` Adua has not formally handed his presidential duties to Vice-president Goodluck Jonathan . In a phone interview with the BBC from his hospital bed Tuesday , President Yar ` Adua said he was recovering from his treatment . `` At the moment I 'm undergoing treatment . I 'm getting better from the treatment . I hope that very soon there will be tremendous progress to allow me to get back home , '' he said . `` As soon as my doctors discharge me I 'll return to Nigeria to resume my duties , '' he added . Yar ` Adua 's interview coincided with demonstrations in the nation 's capital , Abuja , where protesters demanded a constitutional order on his absence and `` evidence about his true state of health , '' Voice of Nigeria reported . The Nigerian Senate is seeking also information on the president 's whereabouts and health . It passed a resolution Tuesday asking Nigeria 's `` secretary to the government of the federation '' to brief it on Yar ` Adua 's status , Voice of Nigeria reported . The Senate had earlier considered sending a delegation to Saudi Arabia . `` In arriving at its decision , the Senate expressed concern that there had been no formal communication to the National Assembly '' -- as required by the nation 's constitution -- '' -LRB- to -RRB- empower the vice president to act and perform the functions of the president , '' Voice of Nigeria reported . Some senators also pushed for an amendment to a law stating that a presidential letter to the National Assembly about an absence is optional , the news organization reported . Foreign Minister Ojo Maduekwe told CNN he has not spoken to Yar ` Adua since he left for Saudi Arabia . But he also said he has no need to talk to the president while he is recovering . Yar ` Adua 's illness was diagnosed in November after he complained of chest pain following prayers at a mosque in Abuja . He was taken to King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Jeddah , where he had his last checkup in August , his doctor said . He said at the time he did not intend to resign while in Saudi Arabia . In addition to internal discord over its missing president , the oil-rich nation has faced some international heat after one of its citizens allegedly attempted to blow up a U.S.-bound flight on Christmas Day . Nigeria was then cited as a country from which enhanced security measures would be enforced for passengers on U.S.-bound flights . A senior U.S. administration official said Nigeria fell into the U.S. Transportation Security Administration category of `` state sponsors of terrorism or other countries of interest . '' Another notable worry for the government is its handling of militants who have wrestled with the government over oil . On Tuesday , police announced that four Shell contractors had been abducted . Hundreds others have been kidnapped over recent years . CNN 's Christian Purefoy contributed to this report .", "question": "what has his absence done ?", "answer": "created a power vacuum in Africa 's most populous country"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice invited the woman set to replace her as the nation 's top diplomat , Sen. Hillary Clinton , to dinner Monday night , a State Department spokesman said . Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice , left , and Sen. Hillary Clinton dined together Monday night . The dinner took place at Rice 's home in the Watergate complex in downtown Washington , State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said . The meeting lasted for two hours , he said . `` They talked just very generally about policy -- the challenges , the opportunities -- talked a little bit about the job of secretary of state , talked about the ` building , ' managing a big operation , '' McCormack said . The two dined after Clinton met with members of President-elect Barack Obama 's State Department transition team on Monday . Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said Tuesday that important information often is exchanged during such dinners between outgoing and incoming secretaries of state . Albright , who was former President Bill Clinton 's top diplomat during his second term , said she had a similar dinner with Colin Powell , President Bush 's first secretary of state , in 2001 . Watch Albright give her advice to Obama \u00c2 '' `` I 'm sure they had a social part of it , but Secretary Rice told her what the major challenges are , how the department works -- we call it ` the building ' -- and , generally , I think they are very nice times , '' Albright said . `` It 's just a matter of really turning over the most important job in the world on foreign policy , '' she added . Albright said Clinton will have to get up to speed on a number of issues , including the status of negotiations the U.S. is engaged in , who will be part of her team and how she will work with other members of Obama 's national security team . `` I know from talking to her that she has a great sense of excitement and desire to ... reintroduce America to the rest of the world , '' said Albright , who said she thought that Clinton would be `` a very great secretary of state . '' Earlier , Rice said she was looking forward to meeting her successor and said she believes Clinton will do `` a great job . '' `` I talked with her and we 're going to sit down , and I 'm really looking forward to it . I 've known her a long time , and she is someone that I admire , '' Rice told CNN on Sunday . Despite being from different parties -- and Clinton 's tough criticism of Bush 's foreign policy while she was a Democratic presidential candidate -- Rice has been effusive in her praise of the former first lady . `` President-elect Obama has made his choice , and he 's made a terrific choice . Hillary Clinton is somebody of intelligence , and she 'll do a great job , '' Rice told ABC News on Sunday . `` She also has what 's most important to being secretary of state , and that is that you love this country , and you represent it from a basis of faith in its values . And I know that she will do that , '' Rice added . Obama 's decision to tap Clinton as his top diplomat already has brought about changes . On Tuesday , former President Clinton released the corporate sponsors of a Clinton Global Initiative meeting in Hong Kong , a practice he previously has resisted . The sponsors of last week 's meeting included CLSA , Laureate , the Roberson Foundation , Citi , the Li Ka Shing Foundation , The Economist , HP , Ogilvy , Suzlon , Thomson Reuters and CNN . The former president agreed to make it a regular practice to disclose the sponsors of his global initiative as part of a deal with the Obama transition team to allow the nomination of his wife to go forward . He also has agreed to allow State Department officials to review his speeches and other personal activities .", "question": "Where did the Dinner between the Secretary of State and Sen. Hillary Clinton take place ?", "answer": "at Rice 's home in the Watergate complex in downtown Washington"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- AOL Autos -RRB- -- Collecting cars is an expensive hobby . Here 's a twist : Buy a new car today that will be worth a fortune as a collectible years from now . The Audi S5 is a slick coupe with solid credentials . Best of all , you do n't need to break the bank to buy a hot and value-appreciating ride . But you do have to be patient , since waiting is key . `` Many consumers could be driving a future collector car right now , '' McKeel Hagerty , CEO of Hagerty , a specialty insurer of collector cars in the United States , and himself a respected collector car valuation expert . `` Our goal was to find cars that are currently on the road but may be considered nostalgic in 15 to 20 years . Each car on Hagerty 's Hot List possesses a ` buzz , ' a wow factor that resonates with consumers of all ages , many cars being daily drivers that turn heads already . '' Why do some vehicles become tomorrow 's collector car ? Hagerty says it 's a combination of pop culture popularity , limited production numbers and the style of the next generation of collectors . Hagerty 's Hot List , the top 10 collector cars of the future : 1 . Cadillac XLR-V Roadster Under the hood sits a hand-built 4.4-liter V8 that 's been supercharged and puts out 443 horsepower . This is a serious domestic roadster that competes with the Mercedes SL-Class , Porsche 911 Cabriolet and Jaguar XKR , as well as the four-seat BMW M6 convertible . AOL Autos : Cadillac XLR Roadster 2 . Lotus Exige S Most practical people will find the Lotus Exige is a miserable little car -- that is if you are shopping for a grocery getter ! Research uncovered one anonymous review stating `` Bottom Line ... my heart beats faster when I think about this car ... it is that rewarding . '' AOL Autos : Lotus Exige S 3 . Audi S5 A slick coupe with solid credentials . It provides good looks , impressive all-wheel-drive handling and an affordable price tag for this segment . AOL Autos : Audi S5 4 . Mustang Shelby GT 500 KR The new GT500 KR -LRB- King of the Road -RRB- takes the bare bones of a GT500 and turns it into a 540 horsepower muscle car that pays tribute to the legendary Carroll Shelby . Production is expected to be around 1,000 . AOL Autos : Mustang Shelby GT 500 KR 5 . Chevrolet Corvette Z06 The ferocious Z06 is a fixed-roof coupe with a 7.0-liter V8 that produces 505 horsepower . The last 50 years have proven that most Corvettes eventually become collectible . AOL Autos : Chevrolet Corvette Z06 6 . Smart At first look , the Smart seems too small to be practical . It 's not . Rather , it is a marvel of packaging efficiency . This is the first year they will be available en masse in the United States . 7 . Subaru Impreza WRX STi Some Subaru enthusiasts may not like the idea of being spotted in a hatchback , but this will make it more collectible down the road . 8 . Honda S2000 CR Less than 2,000 of the CR editions will be built . This is a high-performance version of the stock S2000 that is regarded as Honda 's only true sports car . 9 . Pontiac Solstice/Saturn Sky This pair of roadsters from GM have all the necessary ingredients : rear-wheel drive , a powerful engine , independent suspension and an impressive weight balance . 10 . Dodge Charger Super Bee It has a 6.1 liter HEMI V8 with 425 horsepower and 420 ft.-lbs . of torque . Need we say more for a family sedan ?", "question": "What kind of car can compete with the Cadillac XLR-V Roadster ?", "answer": "Mercedes SL-Class , Porsche 911 Cabriolet"}, {"story_text": "LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- This month on the Screening Room we 're turning to the wonderful world of animated films . `` Shrek the Third , '' the latest in Dreamworks ' inverted-fairytale franchise Blockbusters like `` Finding Nemo '' and Dreamworks ' franchise `` Shrek '' have turned animation into a multi-billion-dollar industry , and a market once dominated by Disney is becoming crowded with competition . This year , Pixar celebrates its 20th anniversary . From `` Toy Story '' to `` Ratatouille , '' the company has transformed expectations about what 's possible with animated film . Pixar 's position as a world leader in animated film is largely down to John Lasseter - considered by some to be the Walt Disney for a new generation . From `` Toy Story '' and `` A Bug 's Life '' to `` Monsters , Inc. '' and `` Cars , '' the Pixar back-catalogue is a testament to his creative genius . And when Pixar merged with Disney he became one of the most powerful players in the movie business . The first Pixar production released since the merger is `` Ratatouille , '' the story of an unlikely alliance between a blundering trainee chef and a gourmet-loving rat . `` Ratatouille '' director Brad Bird 's credits for Pixar include the Oscar-winning feature `` The Incredibles , '' which won critical plaudits for its ground-breaking animation . He told CNN , `` I think that one of the nice things about Pixar is that they do n't feel like they have discovered the secret formula to making a good movie . They just keep focused on trying to make a movie that they would want to see . We are challenged and surprised every time they work out . '' But while Pixar and Disney may be the giants of animation they face formidable competition from another box-office monster -- Shrek . The adventures of the world 's favorite ogre have generated a total of two billion dollars in takings . Actor Mike Myers , who voices Shrek , told CNN that he thinks the movies ' appeal is their unlikely hero . He said , `` With ` Shrek , ' they took fairytales and turned them on their heads . Everything is inverted . Traditional villains are heroes , traditional heroes are villains . The whole team decided , we 're going to look at somebody who has been told he was a villain and we 're going to make him a hero . That 's when I knew they were on to something . '' The success of the Shrek franchise , supported by other big budget features such as `` Madagascar , '' has cemented Dreamworks ' position as a major force in the animated world . Another successful franchise -- `` Ice Age '' -- has been a hot seller for 20th Century Fox . And the polar climate has also been kind to Warner Brothers with last year 's Oscar-winning `` Happy Feet '' charming audiences around the world with a tale of dancing penguins , while the Tom Hanks-voiced `` The Polar Express '' also scored well on its way to becoming a seasonal stocking-filler on DVD . The life-like motion-capture technique used in `` The Polar Express '' will also feature in Warner 's forthcoming release , `` Beowulf '' featuring Angelina Jolie . But in a market dominated by 3-D CGI animations , one of the big three summer blockbusters this year belongs to a more traditional form of the art . `` The Simpsons Movie '' is the world 's longest-running animated television series , and fans have eagerly awaited its move to the big screen . Creator Matt Groening told the Screening Room , `` We 've had fans clamoring for a movie for the past 18 years . We 've had kids , they 've grown up , they 've become adults , they 've become writers for the Simpsons , so we had to do a movie after all this time . '' So , will Springfield 's most famous inhabitants break all former animation records ? Groening and co. will certainly be hoping that the movie gets a box-office `` Woo hoo ! '' from its fans . `` Happy Feet '' is a Warner Bros. film ; Warner Bros. , like CNN , is a unit of Time Warner . E-mail to a friend", "question": "What company did Dreamworks and Warner Bros target ?", "answer": "Pixar and Disney"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- If you have a stash of pistachios in your house , pistachio ice cream in your freezer or trail mix in your backpack , do n't eat any of it . The FDA says it and the California Department of Public Health are taking `` a proactive approach . '' Wait until an inquiry into possible salmonella contamination is further along , advises FDA Associate Commissioner David Acheson . Kraft Foods Inc. notified the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last Tuesday that it found salmonella in roasted pistachios during routine testing . The nuts were traced to Setton Farms in Terra Bella , California , about 75 miles south of Fresno . Setton announced a recall , Kraft removed its Back To Nature Trail Mix from store shelves , and Kroger -- a grocery chain with stores in 31 states -- recalled Private Selection shelled pistachios from its retail stores . See the FDA 's complete recall list `` Ultimately , the question is what should consumers do , and our advice to consumers is that they avoid eating pistachio products and keep checking the FDA Web site for the latest information , '' Acheson said . Watch why it 's important not to eat the nuts '' An investigation is under way into how the pistachios came to carry the bacteria . Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children , frail or elderly people , and others with weakened immune systems . Acheson stressed at a news conference Monday that the potential problems with pistachios were unrelated to this year 's recall of peanut products , including peanut butter . The pistachio investigation also involves the California Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta , Georgia . Setton Farms told the FDA that it anticipates recalling about 1 million pounds of products nationally in the next few days , which covers its crop output last year . Several people have told the FDA that they suffered gastrointestinal illnesses after eating pistachios , and the CDC was doing a genetic analysis , looking for any link between the people and salmonella strains , Acheson said . He said there could be some results by the end of the week . He said the FDA is `` ahead of the curve '' in the current investigation . `` I want to emphasize that this recall was not triggered because of an outbreak , in contrast to some of the previous situations , for example , like the peanuts where people were getting sick and it was determined that peanuts , peanut butter was the likely cause , '' Acheson said . `` This is a situation that the recall is being triggered because of ... action taken on the part of the food industry , '' he added . `` What we 're doing here is getting out ahead of the curve . It 's a proactive approach by the FDA and the California Department of Health . '' Jeff Cronin , spokesman for the advocacy organization Center for Science in the Public Interest , had a mixed reaction to Acheson 's comments . `` I think it 's partly the case , '' Cronin said . `` It 's good that the FDA is proactively issuing advice to consumers . '' But `` this still begets the question of ` how did this contamination happen in the first place ? ' Is this an isolated problem , or are we going to be hearing the same kind of horror stories that we heard about ... the company that produced the peanuts ? '' He said he wondered when was the last time the FDA visited Setton Farms and whether it had known of problems there . In February , the Texas Department of State Health Services ordered the recall of all products shipped from the Peanut Corporation of America 's plant in Plainview , Texas , after discovering dead rodents , rodent excrement and bird feathers in the plant . The company 's peanut butter and peanut paste products produced at its plant in Blakely , Georgia , were linked to a nationwide outbreak of salmonella poisoning that affected 600 people , nine of whom died . According to state health officials and many experts , the deadly outbreak of salmonella was fueled by poor oversight by food safety regulators and a slow response by federal agencies . The first problem is that almost nothing can stop companies from shipping contaminated food , William Hubbard , a former FDA associate commissioner , told a U.S. Senate committee in February . He also said there are not enough federal inspections . Other critics said the FDA stepped in too late in the peanut case to prevent a bigger problem . Food safety experts say the underlying cause of the problem is that the century-old system of regulation is broken . In the peanut case , the experts say , the federal government failed to oversee the safety of products coming out of the Blakely plant and was slow to identify it as the source of the salmonella .", "question": "What did the FDA say ?", "answer": "it and the California Department of Public Health are taking `` a proactive approach"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The news editor of the Zambian newspaper The Post has gone on trial for allegedly circulating obscene material to politicians , the newspaper states on its Web site . Zambia President Rupiah Banda has branded the childbirth photos pornographic . In early June , Chansa Kabwela wrote to the country 's vice president , health minister and several non-governmental organizations to highlight problems in the country 's health-care system -- especially the problems pregnant women faced during a strike by health-care workers . In her letter , Kabwela included several photos of a woman giving birth in a parking lot outside a hospital from which she had been turned away , according to Reporters Without Borders . The country 's president , Rupiah Banda , branded the photos pornographic and called for Kabwela 's arrest and prosecution , according to the press freedom organization . `` Kabwela 's arrest is shocking and the grounds are ridiculous , '' the organization said in a statement on its Web site after the arrest . Now the trial into the alleged obscene photos has begun in the Lusaka magistrate 's court , the newspaper Web site says . One of the first witnesses , Kenneth Ngosa , a senior private secretary to the vice president , told the court he was immediately disturbed by the pictures he found inside the letter , according to the paper . The Post described the courtroom as `` packed to capacity '' and said `` people from all works of life including musicians and opposition political party members '' had come to support Kabwela . Defense lawyer George Chisanga has asked the court to look into whether the president 's order to arrest and prosecute Kabwela could influence the course of justice . A joint statement from several Zambian media organizations , published on The Post 's Web site , calls for the government to amend the law on obscenity to clarify what constitutes obscenity and material that can corrupt morals . The statement concedes that the pictures were in bad taste , but notes that they were sent on behalf of a good cause : to end the strike . CNN efforts to obtain comment from both The Post and the Zambian government have been unsuccessful . According to the latest figures from the World Health Organization , in 2004 the mortality rate of children under 5 years old in Zambia was 182 per 1,000 live births . In the United States , under-5 mortality rate was 8 per 1,000 live births in 2006 . Skilled health personnel attended only 43 percent of childbirths in Zambia in 2002 , according to the health organization .", "question": "Who is Chansa Kabwela ?", "answer": "news editor of the Zambian newspaper The Post"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The White House is blasting Congressional Democrats for not sending a bill that would fund veterans ' care programs to the president 's desk by Veterans Day . The White House 's Dana Perino accused Democrats of holding veterans care funding hostage . `` There 's absolutely no reason that the veterans ' bill could not have been signed by the president today , except for the political games that the Democrats decided to play with it , '' White House press secretary Dana Perino said Sunday in Crawford , Texas . Congressional Democrats had attached legislation funding veterans programs to a $ 150.7 billion bill that also funded a number of domestic priorities , including health , labor and education . Democrats also added $ 3.7 billion to what the president budgeted for veterans programs . The labor-health-education bill would increase funding by more than $ 10 billion over last year 's funding for those programs . The president has threatened to veto the bill because of the added spending . The House passed a health-labor-education bill 269-142 last week with the veterans funding attached , but the Senate later voted to strip out the veterans funding and send the health-labor-education bill to the president . Perino accused the Democrats of `` trying to hold hostage our veterans to extra domestic spending or increases in taxes . '' `` The president wants clean legislation , a clean bill to fund the veterans , '' Perino said . On Saturday , the Democratic congressional leadership sent a letter to President Bush saying they welcomed a dialogue on spending , sayings disagreements over funding levels `` have never been so great that we can not reach agreement on a spending plan that meets the needs of the American people . '' `` Key to this dialogue , however , is some willingness on your part to actually find common ground , '' House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-California , and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid , D-Nevada , said in the letter . The leadership said last year 's Congress , which was still under Republican control , had never passed a separate bill funding veterans programs . Congress also sent to the president legislation that would fund veterans care at the levels requested by the president through December 14 , the leadership said . The current funding level `` is still below the $ 3.9 billion extra that we passed , '' said Nadeam Elshami , spokesman Pelosi . `` We are committed to getting the extra funding that the Congress already voted on the president 's desk for his signature . '' The leadership blamed Republican members of Congress for stalling the funding for the veterans programs by blocking its inclusion in the larger spending bill . Perino , though , said the Democrats could still send a separate bill to the president funding the veterans program that passed both chambers of Congress . `` The Democrats decided not to send the president this bill , '' Perino said . `` That has to be laid at their feet . '' E-mail to a friend CNN 's Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report .", "question": "What dispute is going on in the White House ?", "answer": "veterans ' bill"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Nearly a decade ago , a group of Saudis and other men from the Middle East came to the United States to carry out the worst terrorist attack on the U.S. Not a single one had American citizenship . Almost nine years after the September 11 attacks , the threat of another major terror strike is still a concern , but where the threat is coming from has changed . A growing number of American citizens and longtime residents of the United States are becoming radicalized enough by al Qaeda 's extremist ideology to kill their fellow Americans , counterterrorism officials say . A growing number are also learning the bomb-making skills necessary to become potentially dangerous terrorists , the officials say . They are training in the mountains of Waziristan in northwestern Pakistan , where al Qaeda still enjoys significant safety . That 's where , according to the U.S. government , alleged Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad was trained by the Pakistani Taliban , a group with close ties to al Qaeda . Shahzad 's case has strong similarities to that of another American who plotted with terrorist groups in Pakistan to attack the United States . His name is Bryant Neal Vinas , a Catholic convert to Islam from Long Island , New York , who became radicalized , traveled to Pakistan to join up with al Qaeda and helped Osama bin Laden 's terrorist organization plot a bomb attack on New York City . When news of Vinas ' arrest broke last summer , family members , friends and terrorism experts where dumbfounded by how a studious , middle-class , baseball-loving , all-American kid and onetime U.S. Army recruit could end up plotting to kill in the name of al Qaeda . CNN 's investigation into Vinas has resulted in an intimate portrait of a homegrown terrorist , charting the disturbing story of a young American 's obsessive quest to join al Qaeda . Watch a preview of ` American al Qaeda ' Vinas ' case sheds significant light on why Shahzad and an increasing number of other young Americans have become seduced by al Qaeda 's ideology . Both Vinas and Shahzad were well-integrated into American life before becoming radicalized . Both traveled to the heart of al Qaeda 's operational command in Pakistan 's tribal region along the border with Afghanistan . And both allegedly met with the most senior leaders of the Pakistani Taliban in the weeks before allegedly plotting against the United States . `` Bryant Neal Vinas is almost a poster child for the process , the unremarkable nature of the people who might go through this process and , frankly , the potential to link up to al Qaeda and the danger that presents , '' according to Mitch Silber , the director of intelligence analysis for the New York City Police Department . Several top U.S. counterterrorism officials had the same message : Americans radicalized at home and trained in Pakistan represent a new and disturbing threat to the American homeland . The changing face of terrorism `` In the 9/11 world and in the immediate aftermath , the theory was and the reality was that a terrorist attack , if it were to occur again on U.S. soil , would be someone coming from abroad and coming in to the United States , '' Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said . `` That paradigm has changed , and there are now individuals in the United States , some who have grown up here and are American citizens . ... They have n't done anything to violate the law , but yet they have become radicalized to the point of violent extremism and to the point of ... considering coming back to the homeland and conducting an attack of some sort . '' In the last year , there have been 16 cases of Americans or American residents implicated in Islamist terrorism , a surge in such cases . The Times Square plot is case No. 17 . These cases include the plot last September by Denver taxi driver Najibullah Zazi to conduct multiple suicide bombings on subway cars in New York City , an al Qaeda plot described by U.S. officials as the most serious on U.S. soil since 9/11 . Like Vinas and alleged Times Square bomber Shahzad , Zazi and two associates allegedly received terrorist training in the tribal areas of Pakistan . `` Radicalization is definitely on the rise in the United States , '' said Silber of the NYPD , adding that there 's `` a new wrinkle '' to that radicalization : `` For years , many of these people almost exclusively sought to fight overseas , -LSB- but -RSB- now , we 're seeing individuals looking to target the United States itself . '' Counterterrorism officials believe that interactive online social media sites and a new generation of charismatic English-speaking preachers have helped al Qaeda and other terrorist groups spread their ideology into the United States like never before . But not only radical online preaching has caused increasing concerns . CNN investigations have revealed that radical preachers are attempting to spread al Qaeda 's message on the streets of American cities , including even on Times Square in New York . Two New York City-based groups -- The Islamic Thinkers Society and Revolution Muslim -- have come under particular scrutiny because of their attempts to spread al Qaeda 's ideology in the United States . CNN investigations have revealed that Vinas hung out in Islamic Thinkers Society circles in New York before leaving to fight jihad in Afghanistan . U.S. counterterrorism officials tell CNN they believe he was radicalized by spending time with the group . While the Islamic Thinkers Society and Revolution Muslim have few full-time members and their public rallies are sometimes sparsely attended , they have thousands of followers online , many of them American . And counterterrorism officials believe they often organize meetings in private . `` In a sense , they are almost bug lights for aspiring jihadists , '' Silber said . `` They 've got an anti-Western , anti-democratic , anti-U.S. , pro-al Qaeda message . '' One of the followers of Revolution Muslim 's website was `` Jihad Jane , '' the avatar of Colleen LaRose , a Pennsylvanian woman charged in March for allegedly plotting to murder a Swedish cartoonist . The Islamic Thinkers Society , like Revolution Muslim , is still active . Last month , outside the Israeli Consulate in New York , it protested U.S. support for Israel . After the rally , Islamic Thinkers Society spokesman Abu Mujaddid said the group planned to step up its activities in New York and was successfully recruiting new followers . Mujaddid , who said he believed the United States was at war with Islam , refused to give his real name . Breeding ground While it is still unclear whether Shahzad had radical associates in the United States , U.S. counterterrorism officials are concerned that others like him may be being radicalized through personal contact with proselytizers . Most serious plots directed at the West in the last six years saw plotters either trained or directed by established jihadist groups in Pakistan , according to a recent study conducted for the New American Foundation . In recent months , videos have emerged purporting to show two Americans fighting with militants along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border . One of the alleged Americans , going by the name Sayfullah Amriki , was featured with his face blurred in a video produced by the propaganda arm of the Islamic Jihad Union , an al Qaeda-affiliated Uzbek group . In the video , Amriki said he was not the only American who had joined up with militants in the area . He also made a plea in English for new recruits to fight American forces in Afghanistan . `` We must rush to the lands to jihad . It is an obligation on us , '' he said . `` How can we lose when we wish for death ? '' But it 's what happens when fighters like Amriki come home that most worries U.S. counterterrorism officials .", "question": "Where did Faisal Shahzad allegedly train ?", "answer": "mountains of Waziristan"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Naval forces from several countries were searching Tuesday for a British couple and their missing yacht , which may have been hijacked by pirates off the coast of Africa , military sources told CNN . European Union anti-piracy forces may have spotted the missing vessel Tuesday , a spokesman told CNN . `` One of our helicopters spotted a yacht approximately 200 nautical miles from the Somali coast , towing two skiffs of the type normally used by pirates , '' Lt. Cmdr. Daniel Auwermann told CNN . The yacht has not been identified , and the EU helicopter could not make contact with it , he said . Paul and Rachel Chandler set off from the Seychelles for Tanzania on October 21 , according to their blog . They have not been heard from since , but a distress beacon was activated October 23 , according to naval officials . International military forces are treating the case as a `` potential hijacking , '' Lt. Ian Jones of Britain 's Royal Navy told CNN . `` We have no confirmation that anything has been pirated , '' he added . There are many possibilities , he said , adding that he was aware of the reports of piracy but that hijacking was `` far from certain . '' The weather in the area is quite good , he said . Before setting off , the Chandlers said that the journey could take as long as two weeks and that they would be out of contact for part of the voyage . `` We probably wo n't have satellite phone coverage until we 're fairly close to the African coast , so we may be out of touch for some time , '' they wrote before setting off in the Lynn Rival , a 38-foot yacht . Britain 's Foreign Office issued a statement saying it is `` extremely concerned for their safety , '' while pointing out that it had not confirmed reports they were taken captive . Pirates have been active off the east coast of Africa in the past several years , operating out of lawless Somalia . Two vessels were attacked the day after the Chandlers set sail . One of them -- a cargo ship -- was successfully boarded and seized off the Seychelles , while the other fought off its attackers near the Kenyan coast . Attacks in the region have significantly increased this year , according to the International Maritime Bureau , which monitors shipping crimes . But successful attacks have decreased as a result of a strong presence of international monitors . The first nine months of this year have seen more pirate attacks than all of last year , the bureau reported October 21 . From January 1 until September 30 , pirates worldwide mounted 306 attacks , compared with 293 in all of 2008 , it said . More than half of this year 's attacks were carried out by suspected Somali pirates off the east coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden , a major shipping route between Yemen and Somalia . Out of those attacks , Somali pirates successfully hijacked 32 vessels and took 533 hostages . Eight people were wounded , four were killed and one is missing , the bureau said . CNN 's Adam S. Levine contributed to this report .", "question": "when tach beacon activated", "answer": "distress beacon was activated October 23"}, {"story_text": "BEIRUT , Lebanon -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Saad Hariri , the leader of Lebanon 's Sunni-dominated `` March 14 coalition , '' claimed victory hours after the polls closed in Sunday 's crucial election . `` March 14 '' coalition leader Saad Hariri claims victory after polls close Sunday . Results were not expected until midday Monday . `` What happened today proved again that Lebanon is doing well , '' said Hariri in a televised victory speech . `` The Lebanese proved again that they are holding on to their freedom and the democratic system , so congratulations to Lebanon , congratulations to freedom and to every voter who participated in this election . In this election , there is no winner or loser , democracy won today and the biggest winner is Lebanon . '' Hezbollah officials did not challenge Hariri 's speech . Al-Arabiya television network cited Hezbollah sources as predicting Hariri 's March 14 coalition would win 70 seats , and that the Hezbollah-dominated `` March 8 alliance '' would win 58 seats . The election -- with 128 seats in parliament at stake -- was crucial in determining whether the Arab nation , scarred by war and political instability , picked the coalition led by Hariri or an alliance backed by the militant group Hezbollah . Watch Hariri 's victory speech '' Turnout was high among the country 's 3 million registered voters during the 12 hours that polls were open Sunday . About 50,000 troops were on the streets , but the run-up to the balloting had been free of violence . Former U.S. President and Nobel Peace Prize Winner Jimmy Carter on Sunday said the United States should work with whichever coalition wins -- even though it considers Hezbollah , supported by both Syria and Iran , to be a terrorist organization . Carter was in Beirut as part of more than 200 international observers monitoring the election . Two senior Obama administration officials -- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vice President Joe Biden -- have visited Lebanon in recent months , signaling concerns over a possible Hezbollah victory . Hezbollah grew in popularity after its militant wing claimed victory over Israel after a 34-day military conflict in 2006 . Since then , it has been more widely perceived by its supporters to be the `` defenders '' of Lebanon . In Lebanon 's unique power-sharing government , the presidency is reserved for Maronite Christians , the speaker of parliament is always a Shia Muslim , and the prime minister is a Sunni Muslim . The law was created to balance power among Lebanon 's three main religious groups . Resident Georges Azzi , who cast his ballot early Sunday morning , hoped the elections bring about a smooth and healthy transition to a new government and the continued support of the West -- whatever the results . `` I think it would be seen as a punishment to everybody if it does n't , '' Azzi said . `` We should accept the results whatever they are . That 's how democracy works . '' CNN 's Cal Perry and Saad Abedine contributed to this report", "question": "What did officials not challenge ?", "answer": "Hariri 's speech"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Rick Lyke was diagnosed with prostate cancer when he was 47 . His response was to set up `` Pints for Prostates , '' an organization that uses the universal language of beer to reach men with its message about the importance of prostate cancer screening . In 2008 , at the insistence of a colleague with prostate cancer , Lyke , from Charlotte , North Carolina , had himself tested for illness , even though he had no health problems . His doctor was initially reluctant to have him tested , as men under the age of 50 are n't considered to a high-risk group for prostate cancer , but tests came back positive and Lyke needed surgery to remove the cancer . His surgeon said that if Lyke had waited until he was 50 to be screened , he would probably have only lived another two or three years . `` I 'm doing great now , '' Lyke told CNN . `` I have to get tested every six months for the next 15 years , but I really feel like I dodged a bullet . '' Prostate cancer affects one in six men American men , with 27,000 Americans expected to die from the disease this year . The American Cancer Society believes health care professionals should discuss the potential benefits and limitations of prostate cancer early detection testing with men before any testing begins . It says that should include an offer for yearly testing with the prostate-specific antigen blood test and digital rectal exam , beginning at age 50 , to men who are at average risk of prostate cancer and have at least a 10-year life expectancy . But Lyke says other groups recommend that men should be screened once they reach their forties . `` I think it 's a financial issue in a lot of cases rather than a health issue as to why that guideline is 50 , '' he told CNN . `` The fact of the matter is not many men are going to have prostate cancer in their forties , but for those who do , if they wait until they 're 50 to be tested , their numbers are n't going to look very good . '' Lyke founded `` Pints for Prostates '' to spread the message about need for regular prostate health screenings . The organization travels to beer festivals and tries to engage with men in an informal way . `` Beer is a universal thing for men , '' Lyke told CNN . `` Where women get together and talk about health issues , men really do n't , so we try to use an atmosphere like a pub , where guys are a little bit more relaxed , to talk about prostate cancer . '' He says prostate cancer is a highly personal disease for men , in much the same way that breast cancer is for women . Treatment for prostate cancer can sometimes result in impotence . `` The pink ribbon campaign has really made it possible for women to talk about breast cancer , so we 're trying to do the same thing for guys . They need permission to talk about it , '' said Lyke . As well as setting up stalls at beer festivals and organizing events in pubs , `` Pints for Prostates '' has run adverts in magazines and Lyke estimates its message has reached about 30 million people . A year after his own surgery , Lyke 's first granddaughter was born . He is aware that by being screened for prostate cancer he has vastly improved his chances of seeing her grow up , and he hopes that by encouraging other men to be tested he will give them a similar opportunity . He told CNN , `` I 'm hoping that there 's a whole bunch of other guys out there who 'll be able to experience the same thing -LSB- as me -RSB- -- see their families grow up and grow old . '' Mark Tutton contributed to this report", "question": "How many American men are affected by prostate cancer ?", "answer": "affects one in six"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Re-elected German Chancellor Angela Merkel is eyeing a new coalition to replace the `` grand coalition '' her Christian Democratic Union -LRB- CDU -RRB- party shared with the Social Democratic Party -LRB- SPD -RRB- in the previous parliament . Angela Merkel has pledged to be `` a Chancellor for all Germans '' . If , as expected , Merkel forms a new coalition with the Free Democratic Party -LRB- FPD -RRB- it will have wide-reaching implications for Germans . The FPD are more economically liberal than Merkel 's previous partner , the SPD . According to CNN 's Fred Pleitgen , the FPD led by Guido Westerwelle will push for control of some key positions in the new government , including perhaps the finance ministry . Pleitgen believes that economic policy is likely to change dramatically . `` This means a whole lot more pro-business politics for Germany than in the past . You 'll probably see tax cuts and it will probably mean smaller government than seen in the past four years , '' he said . Speaking at a post-election news conference on Monday , Merkel said that the result is an opportunity to build a smaller government . `` If one looks at the majority relationships , we will be dealing with a smaller partner , the FDP , '' she said . `` We are happy to use this chance in very difficult economic times to secure jobs , create new ones and drive growth more decisively . '' Merkel also pledged to be `` a Chancellor for all Germans '' . The election was disastrous for her rival , foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and the SPD who saw their vote fall 10 percent from 34.2 percent in 2005 to 23 percent . The result is the SPD 's worst result since World War II . The results leave the CDU as the strongest party in the German parliament with 27.3 percent of the popular vote -- slightly down on the 27.8 percent it achieved four years ago . Despite being the biggest party in the Bundestag , the vote marked one of the CDU 's poorest showings in an election . But its traditional coalition with the Christian Social Union -- who won 6.5 percent of the vote -- means that the CDU/CSU bloc won 33.8 percent of the vote . The biggest winners on election night were the Free Democratic Party -LRB- FPD -RRB- whose share of the vote rose nearly five percent from 9.8 to 14.6 percent .", "question": "Who was Merkel expected to form a coalition with ?", "answer": "Free Democratic Party -LRB- FPD"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Lourdes Batista wishes she had super powers so she could use them to find her husband , she said Wednesday , 105 days after authorities said he was kidnapped in Mexico . Lourdes Batista says she has no idea why someone would kidnap her husband , Felix . Felix Batista , a renowned kidnapping consultant , disappeared after getting into a vehicle outside a Saltillo restaurant December 10 . The family has yet to hear a word from his abductors . `` I do n't have words to describe the pain , '' Lourdes Batista said . `` It 's cruel , very cruel . '' Lourdes Batista was getting ready for bed at her Miami , Florida , home when she received a phone call informing her that her husband of 31 years had been snatched . She tried contacting him on both of his phones , but to no avail . Felix Batista , 53 , had arrived four days prior in Saltillo , the Coahuila state capital about 250 miles from the U.S. border , to take part in a security seminar about kidnappings . He was giving talks about kidnappings to a business group in Saltillo and Torreon . Though the Cuban-American worked as a contract consultant for the Houston , Texas-based ASI Global Response , the trip was not affiliated with the company . On the day of his kidnapping , Felix Batista was in a restaurant with several other people when he received a phone call , according to a statement from the Coahuila state attorney general 's office . `` After speaking for a few minutes , -LSB- he -RSB- left the restaurant , telling his colleagues that several people in a white pickup truck were going to give him a message , '' the statement said . `` Afterward , outside the business , at about 7 p.m. , he got into a vehicle with different characteristics from those he had mentioned to his colleagues and , since then , no one has had any communication with him , '' the statement said . There was no indication of violence at the scene , the attorney general 's office said . Jackie Batista said she has no clue why someone would abduct her brother . `` We can speculate till next year , '' she said . `` We 've waited for answers . We do n't have any information , and no one has contacted us . '' Lourdes Batista added , `` It 's very perplexing . I do n't know . I do n't understand why . This is why I ca n't sleep at night . '' Watch Felix Batista 's wife , sister plead for his release '' Felix Batista served four years in the U.S. Army before entering private practice . He has 23 years of experience as a crisis responder and had worked with ASI Global Response since May 2007 , President Charlie LeBlanc said . A profile on the company 's Web site , which has been taken down , said Felix Batista conducted threat assessments and had been credited with the `` successful resolution '' of almost 100 kidnap-and-ransom cases . LeBlanc said Felix Batista was a `` multidisciplined security practitioner '' who also worked on extortion cases and consulted corporations . His aptitude as a consultant aside , Lourdes Batista said , he was an outstanding family man : `` a great man and a great father and a wonderful husband . I could n't ask for better . '' Since Felix Batista 's kidnapping , ASI Global has been working with his family , acting as a liaison with the FBI and Mexican authorities and vetting those offering to help with the case , LeBlanc said . It 's the same kind of work Felix Batista was known for , he said . ASI Global has been sharing information with the Mexican national police , who have `` been very forthcoming in sharing information and asking for advice , '' LeBlanc said . `` We 've had viable leads . They just have n't panned out , '' he added . Kidnappings and violence have long been problems in Mexico , but the problem has spiked in the past year , at least statistically . Mexican President Felipe Calderon said this month that there were 6,500 organized-crime killings in 2008 , more than double the number from 2007 . The nation 's human rights ombudsman has reported that there were 5,140 reported kidnappings between 2001 and 2008 . Attorney General Eduardo Medina Mora 's office reported that there were 326 kidnappings in the first five months of 2008 alone . `` Many cases continued , however , to go unreported , as families negotiated directly with kidnappers . The number of reported cases to authorities was believed to be far less than the actual number of kidnappings , '' said a statement from Mora 's office . Lourdes Batista said the level of violence in Mexico troubles her . `` The Mexican citizens , how do they live like this every day of their lives ? It 's beyond me , '' she said . `` I fear for them and fear for their loved ones . '' Lourdes Batista said there have been no threats against her or against her five children with Felix , who range in age from 16 to 28 , but she still lives anxiously . `` I do live in fear , but mostly for Felix and for the families that are going through what I 'm going through , '' Lourdes Batista said , adding that the kidnappers ' silence has left her feeling impotent . Last week , exactly 100 days after his kidnapping , the Batistas submitted a letter to three newspapers in Monterrey , about 30 miles east of Saltillo . The letter , addressed to `` the Mexican people , '' sought any leads or information in the case and offered a financial reward for information yielding Felix Batista 's safe return . In short , it stated , `` we want Felix back , '' Jackie Batista said . Lourdes Batista said she is willing to add a caveat to the family 's plea . `` I am not one to persecute , and I do n't want to know . I just want my husband back . We need him here , '' she said .", "question": "what is plaguing mexico", "answer": "Kidnappings and violence"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Chechen rebel leader Dokku Umarov claimed that he personally gave orders to attack the Moscow subway this week , according to a Chechen rebel Web site . Kavkaz Center , a Web site that regularly carries messages from the rebels , released a video in which Umarov said he was behind the Monday attacks . The attacks were revenge for what Umarov called a `` massacre conducted by the Russian occupants against the poorest residents of Chechnya and Ingushetia , '' the Web site says . According to the site , the video was taped the same day as the attacks . The incident Umarov referred to is a February special operation by Russian forces , after which there were accusations of Russians killing innocent civilians . In the video , Umarov said the victims were simply gathering garlic to make a living . According to Russian officials , at least four civilians were killed during the special operation near the Ingushetian village of Arshty on February 11 . After investigating the incident , the officials admitted that it was `` the season to collect wild garlic '' and civilians may have been doing just that despite requests for `` evacuation '' from the area . The president of Ingushetia , Yunus-Bek Evkurov expressed condolences to relatives of the deceased and provided material support in the amount of 50 thousand rubles -LRB- about $ 1,700 -RRB- for each family . The president noted that during the raid 18 militants were also killed . The attacks in Moscow , in which two female suicide bombers killed at least 39 people and wounded more than 60 others , were legitimate retribution for what happened in Chechnya , Umarov said in the video . He also promised `` new acts of vengeance '' in Russia . Russians will no longer be able to simply observe the battles in the Caucasus , Umarov said . `` Therefore , the war will come to your streets , and you will feel it for yourselves and with your own lives , '' he said in the video . Monday 's blasts tore through the Lubyanka and Park Kultury stations in central Moscow -- the female bombers detonating their explosives about 40 minutes apart , starting just before 8 a.m. -LRB- 12 a.m. ET -RRB- . On Tuesday , Russian police released photographs of the two women suspected of carrying out the attacks . Special services were also seeking three suspected accomplices of the bombers , Russian state TV reported , citing Moscow police spokesman Viktor Biryukov . They were hunting for a 30-year-old man from the Northern Caucasus who was seen on security cameras wearing dark clothes and a black baseball cap , and two women , aged 22 and 45 , both ethnic Slavs , who allegedly assisted the man , state TV reported . `` Our preliminary assessment is that this act of terror was committed by a terrorist group from the North Caucasus region , '' said Alexander Bortnikov of the Federal Security Service , in reference to the investigation at one of the blast sites . The current round of the Russia-Chechnya conflict dates back nearly 20 years , with Chechens having laid claim to land in the Caucasus Mountains region . Thousands have been killed and 500,000 Chechen people have been displaced by the fighting . Chechnya is located in the North Caucasus region of Russia between the Black and Caspian seas .", "question": "Who detonated their explosives ?", "answer": "female bombers"}, {"story_text": "LONDON , England -- Painfully hot , they make your eyes water , your heart race and can turn your face embarrassingly red . Chilies have been used for many millenia both for their medicinal benefits and exciting falvor . Once only a staple of cuisine from far flung regions of the world , chilies can now be found in almost any dish around the globe . Last week an Indian woman wolfed down 51 `` ghost chilies , '' -- the world 's spiciest -- in two minutes and smeared the seeds on her eyes for an entry into the Guinness World Records . Anandita Dutta Tamuly , 28 , achieved the bizarre and fiery undertaking in the Indian north-eastern state of Assam . She was cheered on by British chef Gordon Ramsay , who also attempted a bite of the hot stuff before begging for water . A single seed can cause watering eyes , as well as a burning sensation in the mouth that can last up to five hours . A chili 's spiciness is measured in Scoville units ; the number of times a chili extract must be diluted in water in order for it to lose its heat . The `` ghost chili '' , also known as bhut jolokia , has more than 1 million Scoville units , while Tabasco sauce ranges from 2,500 to 5,000 Scoville units and jalapeno peppers from 2,500 to 8,000 units . Chilies have formed part of the diet in the Americas since approximately 7,500 BC and owe most of their fame to their sometimes unbearably spicy flavor . But they have also long been recognized for their health benefits . Scientific research -- and legend -- have attributed health wonders to chilies over the years . Diego Alvarez Chanca , a physician on explorer Christopher Columbus ' second voyage to the West Indies in 1493 , first wrote about the pepper 's medicinal effects back in 1494 . Below we look at effects eating chilies has on the body . Skin Other than for its flavor-enhancing qualities , chili is , oddly enough , used to fight the summer heat . As the chili causes extreme sweating and blood rushing to the face , it cools the body down when the sweat evaporates , making it useful for combating heat . These same heat inducing properties are said to have a cumulative effect and over time are believed to alleviate pain when used in treatments for anything from arthritis and psoriasis to shingles and severe burns . Brain The substances that give chili peppers their intensity when eaten or applied on the skin are called capsaicinoids . When consumed , capsaicinoids connect with pain receptors in the mouth and throat that are normally responsible for sensing heat . Once activated by the capsaicinoids , these receptors send a message to the brain that the person has consumed something hot . The brain responds to the burning sensation by raising the heart rate , increasing perspiration and releasing endorphins , called the body 's `` natural painkillers '' and `` happy hormones . '' Stomach Chilies have long been associated with soothing the digestive system , by acting as stomach cleansers . According to the UK Food Guide , chili helps to settle stomach upset and encourages the production of good digestive acid . Chili aficionados believe the fruits can also induce weight loss because the substance that makes them `` hot '' speed up the body 's metabolism . However , one study by the American Institute of Cancer Research performed in Mexico showed in 2003 that a high consumption of chilies -LRB- approximately nine to 25 jalapeno peppers per day -RRB- is in fact associated with stomach cancer . Immune system Red chilies contain high amounts of carotene and vitamin C . It is said that chilies contain more vitamin C than citrus fruits . Chili peppers are also a good source of vitamin B6 and are very high in potassium , magnesium and iron , giving them a reputation for naturally boosting the body 's immune system . Heart and other cardiovascular effects A 2006 study published in the British Journal of Nutrition showed that after adding chili to the diet , bad cholesterol , that can often lead to heart problems , took a longer time to develop into heart diseases .", "question": "What number of ghost chilis did the woman eat ?", "answer": "51 `` ghost chilies"}, {"story_text": "LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Britons including Prime Minister Gordon Brown have leapt to the defense of their creaking healthcare service after President Barack Obama 's plans for a similar system in the United States were branded `` evil '' by Republicans . British Prime Minister Gordon Brown issued a heartfelt message of support for the NHS via Twitter . Tens of thousands of people have joined a Twitter group expressing pride in the UK 's National Health Service -LRB- NHS -RRB- , which offers free taxpayer-funded medical care to all British residents , while leading politicians have spoken out in support . Republican former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin earlier this week condemned Obama 's plans to introduce a public heath insurance scheme as an `` evil '' move that would result in `` death panels '' deciding who would live or die . Her criticism has been echoed by fellow Republicans in direct attacks on Britain 's NHS . In an article , Former House of Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich said British healthcare was run by `` Orwellian '' bureaucrats who put a price tag on life . Sound off : What do you think of the British healthcare model ? The comments caused a storm of protest in the United Kingdom , with Prime Minister Brown wading into the argument via micro-blogging site Twitter , where a conversation chain , '' #welovetheNHS '' , is generating huge online traffic . Britons react to the U.S. healthcare debate '' A posting on the 10 Downing Street Twitter site on Wednesday read : `` PM : NHS often makes the difference between pain and comfort , despair and hope , life and death . Thanks for always being there . '' The message was followed by another , from Brown 's wife Sarah , adding : '' #welovetheNHS -- more than words can say . '' Professor Stephen Hawking , author of `` A Brief History of Time '' , also spoke out in favor of the British system , telling the Guardian newspaper that he owes his life to NHS treatment for the neuro-muscular dystrophy he has suffered from for 40 years . `` I would n't be here today if it were not for the NHS , '' he said . `` I have received a large amount of high-quality treatment without which I would not have survived . '' Despite the support , the 51-year-old NHS is regularly the target of criticism at home , with opposition politicians accusing Brown 's government of mismanagement resulting in long waiting lists and a `` lottery '' in deciding who gets life-saving drugs and surgery . Nevertheless , opposition Conservative Party leader David Cameron also added his voice to the defense campaign with a posting on his party 's Web site . '' Millions of people are grateful for the care they have received from the NHS -- including my own family . `` One of the wonderful things about living in this country is that the moment you 're injured or fall ill -- no matter who you are , where you are from , or how much money you 've got -- you know that the NHS will look after you . '' His statement followed comments from one of his own party members backing the Republican criticism of the NHS . Dan Hannan , a Conservative member of the European Parliament reportedly said in an interview that `` he would n't wish it on anyone . ''", "question": "what NHS offers", "answer": "free taxpayer-funded medical care to all British residents"}, {"story_text": "CHICAGO , Illinois -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Police trying to identify the badly decomposed body of a woman discovered in an industrial area in Chicago , Illinois , denied Saturday that a blue barrel was located near the remains . An ambulance and police cars stand by near the location where a woman 's body was found in Chicago Friday . The original mention of a blue container in a statement from Lyons , Illinois , police sparked interest because of the possible tie to Stacy Peterson , 23 , who disappeared October 28 . Illinois State Police have named her husband , Drew Peterson , a suspect . They have investigated whether the former Bolingbrook , Illinois , police sergeant removed a blue plastic container from his home the night before his wife was reported missing . Drew Peterson , 53 , has consistently said he believes she ran away with another man . Chicago Police spokeswoman Monique Bond said on Saturday that no blue barrel was found near the body . An environmental surveyor from Lyons , Illinois , who was conducting tests at an industrial site in southwest Chicago found the remains Friday afternoon . Police said he called his supervisors to report he 'd seen what appeared to be a human foot and leg . The body was transported to the Chicago medical examiner 's office for autopsy . A spokesman for the Chicago Police Department said the body appears to be that of a female with reddish-blond hair . A posting on findstacypeterson.com describes the missing woman 's hair as brown . The body was found about 20 miles from the Petersons ' home , where Drew Peterson said he last saw her , CNN 's Susan Roesgen reported . Speaking to Nancy Grace on CNN Headline News , Drew Peterson 's attorney , Joel Brodsky , said local authorities have already asked a state task force working on Stacy Peterson 's disappearance not to get involved . `` I can tell you , it is not Stacy , '' Brodsky said . `` I can guarantee you that . '' Brodsky offered no proof of his assertion . Drew and Stacy Peterson have been married four years and have two children . Drew has other children from a previous marriage . Authorities are re-examining the death of Peterson 's third wife , Kathleen Savio , who was found dead in a bathtub in 2004 . E-mail to a friend", "question": "When was Drew Peterson born ?", "answer": "Bolingbrook , Illinois"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Four men accused of involvement in a foiled terrorist plot against Western targets went on trial Wednesday in Germany . Fritz Gelowicz appears in court on April 22 in Dusseldorf , northern Germany . Three of the men -- two Germans and a Turk -- were arrested in September 2007 . Authorities said they had begun mixing a huge amount of explosive material that could have resulted in a strong blast , bigger than the attacks in Madrid in 2004 and London in 2005 . The three -- Fritz Gelowicz , Martin Schneider , and Adem Yilmaz -- are charged with membership in foreign and domestic terrorist groups , preparation of explosives , plotting to murder , and plotting to commit a crime using explosives , the court said . Schneider is also accused of attempted murder , the court said . The fourth person , identified in German media reports as Attila Selek , is a German citizen of Turkish descent . The German magazine Der Spiegel said prosecutors are still searching for a fifth man they believe played a central role in the alleged plot . The trial is taking place at the Higher Regional Court in the northern city of Dusseldorf . When Gelowicz , Schneider and Yilmaz were arrested , they were found with sophisticated and difficult-to-obtain detonators , authorities with knowledge of the arrests have said . U.S. interests in Germany were among the targets of the plot , Michael Chertoff , who was the U.S. homeland security secretary , said at the time . Gelowicz and Schneider are Germans who converted to Islam . Gelowicz was a leading member of a radical Islamist center in Ulm in southern Germany and was well known to German authorities , officials said . The trial could last up to two years , Der Spiegel reported . The trial 's paperwork reportedly fills some 530 folders and the prosecution plans to call 219 witnesses , the magazine said . A little-known Uzbek militant group , the Islamic Jihad Union , claimed responsibility for the plot days after the arrests . It said the intention was to target both U.S. and Uzbek targets , said German Interior Ministry spokesman Christian Sachs . German authorities had said the three men trained at the group 's camps in northern Pakistan . The group said it wanted to target the United States ' Ramstein Air Base and other U.S. and Uzbek military and diplomatic installations in Germany , Sachs said . Another of the group 's goals , he said , was to force Germany to stop using an air base in Uzbekistan as a stopover point for moving equipment and personnel into and out of northern Afghanistan . The group is believed to have ties to al Qaeda . The Islamic Jihad Union was unknown until April 2004 , when it conducted a series of suicide bombings in Uzbekistan , killing 47 people , according to the Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism , a non-profit organization funded by the Department of Homeland Security .", "question": "what group claimed responsibility for the plot", "answer": "Islamic Jihad Union"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Every dog has his day , but Sir Lancelot -- or at least his carbon copy -- has a second one . Edgar and Nina Otto show off 10-week-old Lancey , a clone of `` the most human of any dog we 've ever had . '' A Boca Raton , Florida , couple paid a California firm $ 155,000 to clone their beloved Labrador retriever , who died from cancer a year ago . The clone , a 10-week-old puppy dubbed Lancey , was hand-delivered to them earlier this week by Lou Hawthorne , chairman of BioArts International , a biotechnology company . `` One minute with Lancey and you know he 's special . He 's both extremely aware and very sweet , '' Hawthorne said in a BioArts statement . Edgar and Nina Otto said they began thinking about cloning Sir Lancelot about five years ago . `` I said ` Well , you know , it would n't hurt to have his DNA frozen , ' and that 's what we did , '' Nina Otto told CNN affiliate WPBF . The Ottos were one of five families to bid and win a BioArts auction for a chance to clone their family dog , according to a BioArts statement . Lancey is the world 's first commercially cloned dog , the company said ; the Ottos are the first of six current clients to receive their clone . Sir Lancelot 's DNA sample was sent to the Sooam Biotech Research Foundation in Seoul , South Korea , which provides cloning services to BioArts . Researchers there put the DNA into an egg , and Lancey was born November 18 , according to BioArts . The Ottos said they have had many beloved dogs over the years -- and have nine others currently -- but maintain Sir Lancelot was special . `` Sir Lancelot was the most human of any dog we 've ever had , '' Edgar Otto said in the BioArts statement . `` He was a prince among dogs . '' In an interview with WPBF , Edgar Otto said Sir Lancelot `` was a very , very , very special dog to us . And we 've given a lot more to the Humane Society than we 've ever spent on this project . '' Watch the Ottos talk about Lancelot and Lancey '' For its part , the Humane Society of the United States says it 's against the commercial cloning of animals . `` Given the current pet overpopulation problem , which costs millions of animals their lives and millions in public tax dollars each year , the cloning of pets has no social value and in fact may lead to increased animal suffering , '' the organization said on its Web site . `` For those looking to replace a lost pet , cloning will not create an animal identical to the one who is gone ; cloning can not replicate an animal 's uniqueness . Cloning can only replicate the pet 's genetics , which influence but do not determine his physical attributes or personality . '' The Ottos , however , said replicating Sir Lancelot 's genetics is enough for them . Edgar Otto said he realizes Lancey might not be just like their departed dog , but `` if he 's different , we 're not going to love him any less . '' Edgar Otto is the son of the late Edwin Otto , who was part of the founding of NASCAR and a `` motorsports pioneer , '' according to www.ottomotorsports.com .", "question": "what is the stance of the humane society ?", "answer": "against the commercial cloning of animals"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A cadaver dog searching the home where a missing 11-month-old Missouri girl was reportedly last seen indicated a positive `` hit '' for the scent of a body , according to documents released Friday . The information was included in an affidavit , dated Tuesday , police filed to request a search warrant of Lisa Irwin 's Kansas City home . Baby Lisa was reported missing at 4 a.m. October 4 , after Lisa 's father , Jeremy Irwin , came home from work to find the door unlocked , the lights on and a window that had been tampered with . Lisa 's mother , Deborah Bradley , said she last saw Lisa at 6:40 p.m. the night before . `` The cadaver dog indicated a positive ` hit ' for the scent of a deceased human in the area of the floor of Bradley 's bedroom near the bed , '' the affidavit read . It also said that interviews with people involved in the case `` revealed conflicting information '' and that Bradley told police she did not initially look for her baby behind the house because she `` was afraid of what she might find . '' A judge approved the search warrant , which allowed investigators to comb the house and barred the family from returning home . The warrant was executed on Wednesday . Police took clothing , blankets , a toy , rolls of tape and a tape dispenser from the home , documents showed . The attorney for Lisa 's parents said the release of the affidavit Friday was `` unfortunate , '' as it could derail the search for the missing girl . Joe Tacopina described his clients as `` very shaken up and they refuse to believe anything except that she is out there and alive . '' He said Lisa 's parents are `` terrified , not for themselves , but for the welfare of their daughter . '' The attorney also stressed cadaver dogs are just meant to be an investigative tool , and can not be considered a basis for legal action against his clients . The family 's private investigator , Bill Stanton , called the information contained in the affidavit `` interesting . '' `` I 'm eager to get the facts -LRB- and -RRB- I hope it leads to finding baby Lisa , '' he said . Earlier in the week , Bradley said in an NBC interview that she was drunk the night the infant disappeared and that she had last seen the baby about four hours earlier than initially reported . Bradley told NBC she is afraid she will be arrested . Police have accused her of killing Lisa , she said , and told her that she failed a lie detector test . `` I was the last one with her , '' a tearful Bradley said . `` And from judging on how the questioning went , that 's kind of a fear that I have . And the main fear with that is , if they arrest me , people are going to stop looking for her . And then I 'll never see her again , and I 'll never know what happened . '' Asked how much she had been drinking that night , Bradley said , `` enough to be drunk . '' But she rejected the notion that she could have harmed her daughter while under the influence of alcohol . `` No , no , no , '' she told NBC . `` And if I thought there was a chance , I 'd say it . No . No . I do n't think alcohol changes a person enough to do something like that . '' Asked whether he had questions about Bradley , Jeremy Irwin told NBC , `` No . There 's no question to be had there . I know who she is . I know the kind of mother she is . '' Irwin said it 's possible someone could have entered the house without Bradley hearing , as the couple 's bedroom is on the opposite corner of the house from Lisa 's room and Bradley sleeps with a fan at high speed . Lisa is described as being 30 inches tall with blue eyes and blonde hair , according to police . She weighs between 26 and 30 pounds and was last seen wearing purple shorts and a purple shirt with white kittens on it . The missing girl has two bottom teeth and a `` beauty mark '' on her right outer thigh , police said . At the time of her disappearance , she had a cold with a cough . CNN 's Greg Morrison and Sandra Endo contributed to this report .", "question": "Who refuses to believe anything except that she is alive ?", "answer": "Lisa 's parents"}, {"story_text": "CLARENCE CENTER , New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Recovering all the bodies from Thursday 's deadly passenger plane crash may take four days as investigators work through freezing temperatures and piles of wreckage , a federal transportation official said Saturday . Only a few pieces of the Continental Connection Dash 8 turboprop were recognizable after the crash . `` The medical examiner believes that three to four days are going to be required to recover the victims of this crash , and they 're in the process of doing that , '' Steve Chealander of the National Transportation Safety Board said . `` They 've already pulled some of the folks out of there , but they 've got a long way to go . '' All 49 passengers aboard Continental Connection Flight 3407 died when the 74-seat Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 turboprop crashed into a home in Clarence Center , New York , on Thursday night . A 61-year-old man in the house died also , but his wife and daughter survived . Fifteen bodies have been recovered , and efforts to identify the victims and conduct autopsies are under way , Erie County Health Commission Anthony Billittier said Saturday evening . A federal disaster mortuary team was called to assist local forensic officials . Despite reports from local authorities who said the plane hurtled toward the house from a sharp nosedive , Chealander said the current orientation of the plane indicates that it fell flat on its belly . The Continental flight from Newark , New Jersey , operated by Colgan Air , crashed about 10:17 p.m. Thursday northeast of Buffalo Niagara International Airport . Follow the plane 's path '' Chealander said the recovery effort and the investigation have been hampered by freezing temperatures as authorities try to sift through the wreckage of the flight and the home it struck . Some parts of the plane have fallen as deep as the basement , he said . `` Keep in mind , there 's an airplane that fell on top of a house , '' he told reporters . `` The house and the airplane are together . '' Authorities said it would probably take weeks to identify remains of the victims , with DNA testing required in many cases because of the intensity of the crash and subsequent fire . A 2-square-mile area around the crash site , about 6 miles from the Buffalo airport where the plane was headed , remained sealed off Saturday as investigators sought to determine the cause of the crash . But the extent of the restricted area belied the concentrated force of the impact into the one house . Watch what investigators are saying '' Karen Wielinski was watching television inside the house when she heard a plane making an unusually loud noise . `` I thought to myself , ` If that 's a plane , it 's going to hit something , ' '' she told Buffalo radio station WBEN . `` And next thing I knew , the ceiling was on me , '' she said . Wielinski and her daughter Jill , 22 , were in the front of the home , and they escaped the house with minor injuries . Wielinski 's husband , Doug , who was in the dining room , was killed . On Friday , federal investigators released information from the plane 's cockpit voice and flight data recorders , indicating that icing may have been a major factor in the crash . The plane 's pilot and co-pilot discussed `` significant ice buildup '' on the plane 's windshield and wings as it descended toward the Buffalo airport . The plane underwent `` severe '' pitching and rolling motions after the landing gear was lowered and wing flaps were set for the approach , Chealander said . There was a mix of sleet and snow in the area , but other planes landed safely at the airport about the time the flight went down . Chealander said the flight crew reported that visibility was about 3 miles and there was snow and mist as they descended . The voice and data recorders indicated that the plane 's internal de-icing was on during the landing approach , he said . `` A significant ice buildup is an aerodynamic impediment , '' he added . Find out why '' Keith Burtis was driving about a mile from the crash site when he heard the impact . `` It was a high-pitched sound , '' Burtis said . `` It felt like a mini-earthquake . '' A ball of fire filled the night sky as the jet fuel erupted , Burtis said , and he saw a steady stream of fire trucks rush past as smoke billowed . At least nine volunteer fire departments responded . Watch iReporters ' close-up accounts '' Among the passengers killed was Beverly Eckert , widow of a September 11 attack victim . Also aboard was Alison Des Forges , senior Africa adviser for Human Rights Watch , one of her colleagues said . Des Forges spent four years in Rwanda documenting the 1994 genocide and had testified about the atrocity and the situation in central Africa to Congress and the United Nations , according to the organization . Read more about the victims Also on the flight was Susan Wehle , a cantor at Temple Beth Am in Williamsville , outside Buffalo , a synagogue official said . Colgan Air identified the crew as Capt. Marvin Renslow , the pilot ; First Officer Rebecca Shaw , who was co-pilot ; and flight attendants Matilda Quintero and Donna Prisco . In addition , an off-duty crew member , Capt. Joseph Zuffoletto , was onboard . `` This is easily the saddest day in the history of our airline , '' said Philip Trenary , the company 's CEO .", "question": "few bodies recovered ?", "answer": "Fifteen bodies have been"}, {"story_text": "London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The future of English Premier League club Portsmouth was in doubt Friday after it was forced to go into administration with debts of around $ 90 million . The south coast side are the first Premier League side to call in administrators since the division was formed 18 years ago , fueling a financial boom in English football on the back of lucrative TV rights . `` At 10:20 am today Portsmouth Football Club was placed into administration following the filing of a notice of appointment at the High Court by the chargeholder , Portpin Limited , '' the club said in a statement on its Web site . Explainer : What next for Portsmouth ? Being placed in administration means an insolvent company is run by a court-appointed administrator with a view to saving it from liquidation . The administrator will assess the assets held by the company and attempt to reach agreement with creditors . Portsmouth , managed by former Chelsea boss Avram Grant , are already bottom of the table and facing relegation after raising around $ 100 million in player sales before the current season in a bid to reduce their debts . They will now be docked a further nine points , virtually sealing their relegation to English football 's second tier at the end of the season . The club has passed through a succession of owners this season but efforts to find a fifth broke down Tuesday when present owner Balram Chainrai confirmed the club would opt for administration to avert a winding up order from the UK government . At a press conference on Friday the club 's administrator , Andrew Andronikou , confirmed that Portsmouth 's debts were around $ 100 million , but he said he was confident they would not go bust . He also said the Premier League had indicated that Portsmouth may be permitted to sell players outside the transfer window . `` There will be no firesale . We will have to sell one or two players and that is why we are talking to the Premier League , '' he said . `` The restructuring starts today and there will be significant cost cutting at all levels . I will be cutting to the bone . '' Andronikou also confirmed that Grant had vowed to stay at the club until the end of the season . Portsmouth 's Chief Executive Peter Storrie said it was an `` extremely sad day '' but admitted going into administration had `` kept the club alive and given someone an exceptional opportunity to take this great club on with fresh investment . '' He also confirmed his intention to step down when a new buyer for the club had been found . Portsmouth 's financial collapse completes a remarkable fall from grace for a side which won the FA Cup in 2008 , the club 's first major honor since winning back-to-back English league titles in 1949 and 1950 . Portsmouth are not the first football club to run into financial problems as a consequence of debts wracked up in pursuit of success on the field . Leeds United went into administration in 2007 , three years after their relegation from the Premier League and six years after the club had reached the semifinals of the Champions League . Leicester City and Portsmouth 's south coast rivals Southampton also went into administration after losing their places in the top division .", "question": "What are the estimated debts of Portsmouth ?", "answer": "around $ 90 million"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- Entertainment Weekly -RRB- -- It could n't top its predecessors , but `` X-Men Origins : Wolverine '' still brought in quite a haul , grossing an estimated $ 87 million for the opening weekend of the summer movie season . Hugh Jackman stars as the title character in `` X-Men Origins : Wolverine . '' The Hugh Jackman pic brought in a strong $ 21,225 per-theater average in 4,099 movie houses , despite generating mixed reviews . The film fell $ 15 million short of 2006 's `` X-Men : The Last Stand '' but it is still an enormous success for Jackman and director Gavin Hood . Matthew McConaughey 's `` Ghosts of Girlfriends Past '' generated an estimated $ 15.3 million for a second place bow . It 's not a shabby opening but it is far less than McConaughey 's previous romantic outings including last year 's `` Fool 's Gold '' -LRB- $ 21.6 million -RRB- or 2006 's `` Failure to Launch '' -LRB- $ 24.2 million -RRB- . -LRB- Perhaps women were too busy checking out all those hunky mutants this weekend ? -RRB- The two new openers did help the industry maintain its year-over-year increase of 16 percent . Also aiding that statistic was Beyonce Knowles ' `` Obsessed . '' Dropping a not-surprising 57 percent for its second weekend in theaters , the thriller earned another $ 12.2 million to put its ten-day gross at a shockingly strong $ 47 million . And Zac Efron 's `` 17 Again '' showed surprising stamina , too , grossing an additional $ 6.3 million its third weekend for a total take of $ 48.4 million . The other new wide release for the weekend was the anemic 3-D animated sci-fi film `` Battle for Terra . '' Opening on 1162 theaters , the Justin Long , Evan Rachel Wood-voiced feature proved to be little competition for the other 3-D movie in the marketplace . Dreamworks Animation 's juggernaut `` Monsters vs. Aliens '' grossed another $ 5.8 million its sixth weekend for the fifth slot in the rankings , while newcomer `` Terra '' could n't muster more than $ 1 million for a twelfth place in the box office derby . Summer has officially begun -- at least in Hollywood -- so expect a giant event film every weekend . Wolverine may have bowed mightily but with `` Star Trek '' hot on its heels next weekend , the Marvel superhero is going to need more than adamantium to maintain its box office lead . CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly", "question": "How much did Ghosts of Girlfriends Past take at the box office ?", "answer": "15.3 million"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Inspectors have found `` nothing unusual '' in the rest of Southwest Airlines ' fleet of 737-300s after a football-sized hole in one of the jets forced an emergency landing , an airline spokeswoman said Tuesday . The breach in the aircraft 's fuselage caused a loss of cabin pressure . No passengers were injured . The airline inspected its roughly 200 Boeing 737-300s overnight following the incident that forced Southwest Flight 2294 to make an emergency landing in Charleston , West Virginia . A sudden drop in cabin pressure caused the jet 's oxygen masks to deploy , but there were no injuries among the 126 passengers or the five-member crew . Marilee McInnis , a Southwest spokeswoman , said the jets were inspected during non-operational hours overnight , and the cause of the incident remained unknown Tuesday morning . The airline is working closely with the National Transportation Safety Board to investigate the matter , she said . Flight 2294 was at 34,000 feet , en route from Nashville , Tennessee , to Baltimore , Maryland , when the incident happened , McInnis said . See map of flight path '' `` About 45 minutes into the flight , there was a loud pop . No one really knew what it was , '' passenger Steve Hall told CNN Radio . Watch as passenger describes watching the hole form '' The plane landed in Charleston at 5:10 p.m. after the crew reported the sudden drop in cabin pressure , which caused the jet 's oxygen masks to deploy . `` We were seated about two rows back from the wing , and four rows back you heard this loud rush and your ears popped , and you could tell that part of the inside was trying to pull out , '' passenger Sheryl Bryant told CNN affiliate WBAL-TV upon arriving in Baltimore aboard a replacement plane . `` And it was crazy -- the oxygen masks dropped , '' she continued . She put her mask on her face , then helped her 4 - and 6-year-old children with theirs , she said . Bryant tried to stay calm and reassure her children , she said . Watch Bryant 's account of acting brave '' `` My kids and I , we prayed , and then we said , you know , life will be fine , '' she said . Bryant praised the flight crew and ground personnel for keeping passengers informed and for giving clear instructions . `` We have a tremendous talent represented in the pilots and the flight crew , '' another passenger , Pastor Alvin Kibble , told WBAL-TV . `` I think we need to value them far more than perhaps what we do . It 's very easy for us to begin to take things for granted . '' The damaged aircraft was still parked at Charleston 's Yeager Airport on Tuesday , when NTSB officials arrived to inspect the plane , airport spokesman Brian Belcher said . A complete inspection could take one to two days , and investigators are expected to interview the passengers and crew as well , he said . The airline is `` doing things '' for the affected passengers on Monday 's flight , but McInnis would not say whether they would receive refunds . Both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident , FAA spokeswoman Holly Baker said . `` There is no responsible way to speculate as to a cause at this point , '' Southwest said in a statement Monday night . `` We have safety procedures in place , and they were followed in this instance to get all passengers and crew safely on the ground , '' the airline said . `` Reports we have are that our passengers were calm and that our pilots and flight attendants did a great job getting the aircraft on the ground safely . '' CNN 's Shawn Nottingham and Stephanie Gallman contributed to this report .", "question": "where is the emergency landing ?", "answer": "Charleston , West Virginia"}, {"story_text": "NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Brittany Zimmerman , a 21-year-old college student who wanted to be a doctor , called 911 as she was being attacked by a stranger , police say . Brittany Zimmerman 's screams and struggle for her life were captured by a 911 tape . But the police did not come for 48 minutes . By that time , Zimmerman was dead . Her fiance found her body . Although the dispatcher claimed later to have heard nothing , the 911 tape captured screams , gasps and what sounds like a struggle , according to the court documents . Spring was in the air when college student Zimmerman returned April 2 from classes at the University of Wisconsin to the off-campus apartment she shared with her fiance , Jordan Gonnering . He was out when she arrived home . He discovered her body when he returned . Zimmerman had been stabbed multiple times in her chest , near her heart . She 'd also been beaten and strangled , according to warrants released recently . Watch an update on the case '' Zimmerman managed to call 911 at 12:20 p.m. . The call was taken by the Dane County 911 center and an internal investigation revealed the dispatcher did not hear any sounds that would signal an emergency . Because of that , police were not sent to the apartment until 48 minutes after Zimmerman made the call . Her fiance was already there . Dane County has taken some harsh criticism from the public regarding the delay , and tough questions have been raised about whether a prompt response might have saved Zimmerman 's life . Police are still looking for her killer . `` We are working diligently on this case , have generated significant leads , and are making progress , '' said Joel De Spain of the Madison Police Department . The police said they believe Zimmerman was attacked by a stranger . Her apartment door showed signs of forced entry . After interviews with Zimmerman 's family , friends and acquaintances , investigators determined there was no personal motive for the attack . `` In fact , we have not been able to determine any motive yet in this case , '' De Spain said . He emphasized that police have no reason to believe Zimmerman was the victim of a serial killer . During the investigation , police have tracked leads pointing to vagrants in Zimmerman 's off-campus neighborhood . The vagrants often would knock on doors and beg for money . `` We are still investigating this avenue , but at this time we have not been able to develop any specific suspects , '' De Spain said . Zimmerman 's family and friends describe her as a loving , warm young woman , who had much to look forward to . She was engaged to the love of her life and had dreams of earning a medical degree , they said . She was idealistic , and her goal was to help people , not to earn a large salary , they said . Other details in the released warrants reveal that Zimmerman was murdered in her bedroom , that her cell phone was found in `` parts , '' and that her bloody slippers and bloody computer paper were recovered . The murder weapon is described as a knife , two to five inches long . Police are not saying whether they have recovered it . DNA was collected from Zimmerman 's body , as well as hair , blood samples , footprints and fingerprints . So far , no match has been made to a suspect . Zimmerman 's family is offering a $ 14,000 reward , and Crime Stoppers is offering $ 1,000 for tips leading to the arrest and/or conviction of anyone responsible for Zimmerman 's death . Please call the tip line at 608-266-6014 .", "question": "who foud Brittany zimmerman 's body ?", "answer": "Her fiance"}, {"story_text": "BALTIMORE , Maryland -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Kim Mickens , 49 , has always been the caregiver among her eight brothers and sisters . So when her mother , Delphine Mickens , was told she had Alzheimer 's disease , Mickens took care of all the arrangements for her mother 's care -- among them , she chose a nursing home not far from her place in Baltimore . Kim Mickens , right , moved her mother , Delphine , in with her after unsuccessful stints at two nursing homes . But Mickens did n't like the way her mother was treated , so she moved Delphine to a second facility . That one did n't work out either . Mickens eventually concluded that the only way Delphine was going to receive acceptable care was to move her mother in with her . Moving Delphine into her house was n't so easy : She needed medical equipment including a wheelchair , medication and round-the-clock care . `` She ca n't walk , '' Mickens says . `` So we bathe her , we feed her , we do everything for her . '' Because Mickens works two jobs , she also needed someone to provide in-home care . Because Delphine is in her 80s , Medicare covers a lot of the costs -- but Mickens did n't know where to start ; the logistics were overwhelming . Medicare personnel helped her get some of the medical supplies she needed and also recommend a new Web site called Ask Medicare . Designed to give easy access to people taking care of elderly relatives , Ask Medicare provides information and links to services that are important to caregivers . Mickens says it was invaluable . `` The Web site tells you how to get Medicare assistance , '' she says . `` It also gives you information on how to contact people that you need to get the equipment and supplies for your parents . '' The Department of Health and Human Services says at least 44 million Americans provide care for a chronically ill , disabled or elderly family member or friend . Of those family caregivers , 7 percent -- like Mickens -- provide 40 hours or more of care a week . The new Web site designed by HHS is meant to be a navigational tool for caregivers -- for whom time is valuable -- that cuts through all the bureaucratic red tape . Listen to Kim Mickens talk about caring for her mother '' `` We call it a GPS for Medicare , '' says Rima Cohen , a special adviser at HHS . `` It 's meant to make information readily available , and presented in a format that is easy to understand . '' According to the Center on an Aging Society at Georgetown University , family caregivers provide approximately 80 percent of long-term care services in the United States . `` We know that family caregivers are really the backbone of a long-term care giving system in the U.S. , '' says Cohen . `` You might be surprised to note that about $ 375 billion worth of services are provided by family caregivers -- if they were paid . '' So helping the caregiver is key . Watch more on the Ask Medicare Web site '' Mickens says she first used the Web site to set up the living space for her mother . Through a social worker and Ask Medicare , she ordered a special bed , supplies , a new wheelchair , and even filled Delphine 's prescriptions . Because Delphine had previously suffered two strokes , she could n't walk -- a very big problem , since Mickens lives in a two-story home . But through the site , she was able to order an elevator chair that takes Delphine up and down the stairs . Now that her mother is settled comfortably in her daughter 's home , Mickens says she needs some emotional support and `` me time . '' That 's not unusual : A study in the American Journal of Public Health finds family caregivers who provide 36 or more hours of care per week are more likely than noncaregivers to experience symptoms of depression or anxiety . Mickens found support in a chat room that was linked to Ask Medicare . `` The Web site has helped me read other people 's stories , '' she says . `` And now I know I 'm not going through this by myself . '' Today , Mickens and her mother are a loving twosome . When Mickens is at work , she leaves Delphine with an in-home nurse and relies on her son to help out when he gets home from school . Mickens finally feels content about the quality of care her mother is getting , and she says it would have never happened so quickly had she not found the Ask Medicare Web site . `` I have no problems with it : Once I punch it in , it comes up and takes me out to all the different Web sites , '' say Mickens . `` It 's very helpful . I am glad they came up with it . ''", "question": "What is the cost if family caregivers would be paid ?", "answer": "375 billion"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The federal government has instructed BP to scale back its use of oil dispersants in the Gulf of Mexico , Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson said Monday . Jackson said she believes BP 's total use of dispersants can be reduced by as much as 80 percent . While the dispersants are successfully breaking up much of the oil being spilled into the Gulf , she said , `` we are making environmental tradeoffs '' and are `` deeply concerned '' about potential side effects . Jackson and Coast Guard Rear Adm. Mary Landry , the federal on-scene coordinator for the oil spill response effort , told reporters that subsea use of dispersants at the source of the leak will continue . But the federal government strongly prefers to eliminate oil on the surface through a combination of burning and mechanical skimming , they said . The `` use of dispersant in the subsea means that you do n't need to spray as much -LRB- on the surface -RRB- , '' Jackson later explained . `` The idea from the very beginning was that if you could use it in the subsea ... you would n't need to spray as much on top . '' Jackson 's announcement came less than a week after EPA ordered BP to find another chemical dispersant to use on the oil spill after concerns arose about the long-term effects of the substance now being used . Federal officials have been seeking an alternative to the hundreds of thousands of gallons of Corexit 9500 that have been sprayed on the oil slick since April . The product has been rated less effective and more toxic than many others on the list of 18 EPA-approved dispersants , according to testimony at a congressional hearing Wednesday . Corexit 9500 includes petroleum distillates , propylene glycol and a proprietary organic sulfonic salt , and prolonged contact with it can cause eye or skin irritation , according to the manufacturer 's material data safety sheet . The document warns that `` repeated or prolonged exposure may irritate the respiratory tract . '' `` I was n't satisfied with the answer that we got '' from BP regarding possible alternatives , Jackson said . While the data compiled so far does `` not show a problem with toxicity '' as a result of the use of Corexit , it `` seems to me that a month into this and with no end in sight ... we need to ask ourselves whether there 's a better product out there . And BP seemed to spend a lot of time saying why everything else did n't work . '' The EPA is in the process of setting up a series of toxicity tests , Jackson said , `` to look at what 's going on out there now and to look at whether there 's a better choice . '' Asked earlier about the company 's continued use of an oil dispersant in the face of an EPA request that it use a less toxic alternative , BP official Tony Hayward said , `` Everything that we do with dispersants is with the explicit approval of the EPA . '' On Monday , Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Thad Allen -- the Obama administration 's point man for the spill -- warned reporters at the White House that the `` decision to use dispersants does n't do away with the problem . '' It simply means `` we are willing to accept the effect of the oil in the ocean rather than on land . It is a trade-off of where the impact of the oil is going to be made . ''", "question": "What did the goverment instruct BP to do ?", "answer": "to scale back its use of oil dispersants"}, {"story_text": "SAN FRANCISCO , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Instead of Apple CEO Steve Jobs , celebrity-seekers at Tuesday 's Macworld keynote address had to settle for crooner Tony Bennett . And instead of blockbuster news from Apple Vice President Philip Schiller , attendees got changes in iTunes pricing , a series of software upgrades and a $ 2,800 17-inch notebook . Apple Vice President Philip Schiller delivers the MacWorld keynote address Tuesday in San Francisco . Among Mac users and industry observers , reaction to the 90-minute keynote , which Apple says will be its last at Macworld , was predictably mixed . `` Tony Bennett got a standing ovation . Apple , not so much , '' said Philip Elmer-DeWitt , who writes an Apple column for Fortune magazine . `` It was n't up to Steve Jobs ' standards . Phil is not the showman that Steve is , but he did n't have much material to work with . '' `` I think Phil did a great job , '' countered Chuck Freedman , an IT specialist from suburban Detroit , Michigan . `` Yes , we miss Steve , but Phil handled everything well . I 'm here to see what Apple 's doing next , not how much weight Steve has lost . '' So what is Apple doing next ? Pre-Macworld rumors about an iPhone Nano and a preview of the Snow Leopard operating system proved unfounded . Instead , Schiller introduced upgrades to Apple 's iLife and iWork software suites , unveiled a 17-inch unibody MacBook Pro with a more powerful battery , and announced tweaks to iTunes ' 99 cents-per-song pricing model . The result earned Schiller consistent applause but not the wild cheering that greeted Jobs ' 2007 announcement of the iPhone , for example . Watch Schiller 's keynote address at Macworld '' `` It was a real solid presentation , '' said Mike McGuire , a media analyst with Gartner Market Research , citing Apple 's emphasis on revamping its core products amid a challenging economic climate . `` There 's not the frenzied hoopla -LSB- of past years -RSB- . But maybe this is n't the best time for that . '' From a consumer perspective , the day 's biggest news may have been the price changes at iTunes , Apple 's wildly successful online music store . Beginning April 1 , songs on the site will cost $ 1.29 , 99 cents or 69 cents , although more songs will be sold at the lower price than at the higher price , Schiller said . Apple did not elaborate on how songs will be priced , although observers expect most new hits to cost $ 1.29 and older songs to be cheaper . `` Apple is essentially leaving that up to the -LSB- music -RSB- labels , '' McGuire said . `` It 'll be interesting to see how the labels and the artists deal with that . '' After his iTunes announcement , Schiller yielded the spotlight to Bennett , who glided onstage with a four-piece band to sing `` The Best is Yet to Come '' and his signature `` I Left My Heart in San Francisco . '' iReport.com : See a mobile photo from Macworld , send your own images Attendees seemed bored during Schiller 's demonstration of the revamped iWork , Apple 's software for office use . Some also expressed skepticism about Apple 's plans to launch a beta version of iWork.com that will allow users to review and edit documents collaboratively online . But they perked up when Schiller mentioned a new app that will let people use their iPhones as remotes to run multimedia business presentations . Audience members -- including former Vice President Al Gore , an Apple board member -- showed more enthusiasm for the upgraded iPhoto , iMovie and Garage Band software , which is bundled together as iLife '09 and goes on sale in late January . The new iPhoto has face-recognition software that will make it easier for users to create galleries of friends and family members . It also contains GPS geotagging that will allow users to sort their photos geographically . Apple is also focusing on improved video editing . `` We decided to completely rewrite iMovie and come up with a whole new version , '' Schiller said . `` We 've added so much depth and so much power , we really believe it 's going to be the video-editing product that everybody uses . '' Watch Schiller unveil Mac 's new photo application '' The new version has better precision editing , video stabilization , easier audio editing and smoother transitions , Schiller said . The new iLife will also have a feature for aspiring musicians . Learn to Play , part of Garage Band ' 09 , includes software for nine free basic lessons for guitar and nine free basic lessons for piano/keyboards . It also includes Artist Lessons with video instructions from such famous musicians as Sting , John Fogerty , Norah Jones and Sarah MacLachlan , who will teach users how to play their songs . Watch Fogerty give a lesson on how to play ` Proud Mary ' '' Schiller showed a video of Fogerty explaining how to play the chords for the Creedence Clearwater Revival classic `` Proud Mary . '' Apple 's third major announcement at the conference focused on a 17-inch unibody MacBook Pro notebook . At less than 1 inch thick and weighing in at 6.6 pounds , it would be the world 's lightest notebook of its size , Schiller said . New technology will allow its battery to be recharged up to 1,000 times , more than three times the industry standard . It can last up to eight hours on a single charge and runs on less than 50 percent the energy of a single lightbulb , Schiller said . He also touted the notebook 's improved screen . The new MacBook Pro will cost $ 2,799 and starts shipping in late January . This was the first Macworld keynote since 1997 not to be delivered by Apple CEO Steve Jobs , the tech visionary who relinquished his usual Macworld appearance last month amid concerns about his health . At past Macworlds -- the annual gathering of Mac users , consultants and partners -- fans stood for hours in lines that snaked around the block to watch Jobs unveil gadgets in his trademark jeans and black mock turtleneck . Recent Macworld keynotes introduced such major Apple products and services as iTunes -LRB- 2001 -RRB- , the iPod Shuffle -LRB- 2005 -RRB- and the iPhone -LRB- 2007 -RRB- . See `` A decade of Macworld '' timeline '' But Apple is changing the way it does business . Thanks to its Web site and its network of retail stores , the company can reach more than 100 million customers around the world directly , which makes Apple less reliant on trade shows like Macworld to spread its message . The biggest topic of discussion at Macworld , however , was not a potential Apple product or even the contents of Schiller 's speech but the mystery surrounding Jobs ' absence from the trade show celebrating the company he co-founded . Attendees were heartened by Jobs ' announcement Monday that his recent weight loss was caused by a hormonal imbalance that can be remedied and that he will continue as Apple 's CEO while he gets treatment . Concerns about Jobs ' health have hounded Apple since 2004 , when he was treated for pancreatic cancer .", "question": "What is Macworld ?", "answer": "the annual gathering of Mac users , consultants and partners"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sen. John McCain on Thursday accused Sen. Barack Obama of breaking a promise when the Democrat decided to forgo public financing in this fall 's campaign . Sen. Barack Obama repeatedly broke campaign fundraising records during the Democratic primary season . Obama told supporters in an e-mail message Thursday that he would not accept about $ 85 million in public funds when he becomes the Democratic presidential nominee . In the e-mail , Obama said the public campaign financing system allowed `` special interests -LSB- to -RSB- drown out the voices of the American people '' and asked his supporters to `` declare our independence from a broken system . '' McCain said that Obama 's move to drop out of the system `` should be disturbing to all Americans '' and that he may decide to opt out , too . `` Sen. Obama 's reversal on public financing is one of a number of reversals ... that he has taken , '' McCain said while touring flood-damaged parts of Iowa . `` This election is about a lot of things , but it 's also about trust . It 's also about whether you can take people 's word . ... He said he would stick to his agreement . He did n't . '' Watch McCain 's attack on Obama \u00c2 '' He said his campaign will reconsider whether to opt out as well . `` We '' l have to reevaluate in light of his decision , '' he said . But he said he leans toward taking public money . But Rep. Rahm Emanuel , an Obama supporter , argued that the Democrat had `` more than realized the objective of public financing '' by setting up a system to accept small donations over the Internet . `` It has given the American people a voice in our political process and has forever changed politics in this country by inspiring record numbers of Americans to participate in bringing change to Washington , '' Emanuel said . Despite the heated back-and-forth , CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider said it is unlikely the controversy will influence voters . `` I 'm not sure it 's a big deal for most voters . There 's not a lot of support for the public financing system . '' Schneider said . `` About a year ago , the polls asked people if they supported the idea that candidates and campaigns should be financed by taxpayer money ... and most persons said no . `` They like the idea of financing campaigns through small contributions from a lot of individual contributors , which is what Obama has done , '' he said . Obama would be the first major presidential candidate to drop out of the modern campaign financing system for the general election since its creation in 1976 in the post-Watergate era . Under this system , candidates agree to spend only the public funds and can not raise or spend money directly obtained from individuals . Because he has decided not participate in the system , Obama will be able to spend an unlimited amount of money during the general election . The two camps also bickered Thursday over whether they had held negotiations on public financing before Obama 's move to drop out . Obama counsel Bob Bauer said he discussed the public funding issue for 45 minutes with Trevor Potter , his McCain counterpart , on June 6 when they met to talk about a possible town-hall appearance between the candidates . Potter said the two `` spoke in general terms about the public financing system , with Bob outlining reasons it could be considered ` broken ' or irrelevant in 2008 , and I explaining why Sen. McCain remained committed to it and thought it was good for the country . '' Given his record-breaking ability to raise donations over the Internet , the Illinois Democrat probably will be able to raise more than and outspend the presumptive GOP nominee . Watch CNN 's Candy Crowley explain the significance of Obama 's decision \u00c2 '' Since January 2007 , Obama has raised more than $ 272 million , including nearly $ 31 million in April . During that time period , McCain has raised less than half that amount , roughly $ 100 million . In April , the Arizona Republican brought in about $ 18 million . The FEC ruled unanimously in March 2007 that presidential candidates could accept general election public financing , provided that they return any money raised for the general election while following certain guidelines . At the time , Obama 's actions appeared to be a desire on his part to preserve the public financing option while enabling him to raise general election money . After that ruling , spokesman Bill Burton said , `` Sen. Obama is pleased the FEC took this important step in preserving the public financing system , which is why he sought the opinion . If Sen. Obama is the nominee , he will aggressively pursue an agreement with the Republican nominee to preserve a publicly financed general election . '' McCain is embroiled in controversy over his attempt to withdraw from the primary public financing system . He entered the program last year when his campaign was strapped for cash , and took a loan using future fundraising -- or the matching funds from the public financing system -- as collateral . But after his primary victories on Super Tuesday , McCain wrote to the Federal Elections Commission announcing his intent to withdraw from the program . But the FEC has four vacancies -- and no quorum -- to vote on whether to allow McCain 's withdrawal . And federal election rules say that a candidate who uses the matching funds as collateral can not withdraw from the system . The Democratic National Committee has filed a complaint with the FEC , but the lack of a quorum has stalled assessment of the complaint . Obama , meanwhile , asked supporters Thursday to `` declare our independence from a broken system , and run the type of campaign that reflects the grass-roots values that have already changed our politics and brought us this far . '' The Democrat also attacked McCain and Republicans for taking money from lobbyists and political action committees , and he faulted McCain for not checking the campaign spending of conservative groups independent from his campaign . `` We 've already seen that he 's not going to stop the smears and attacks from his allies running so-called 527 groups , who will spend millions and millions of dollars in unlimited donations , '' the e-mail said , referring to independent political advocacy groups that often purchase issue ads independent of the presidential campaigns . These groups operate under Section 527 of the Internal Revenue Service tax code . CNN 's Rebecca Sinderbrand and Dana Bash contributed to this report .", "question": "McCain says what should be disturbing ?", "answer": "Obama 's move to drop out of the system"}, {"story_text": "Athens , Greece -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou will meet Monday with the leader of the country 's main opposition party to discuss who will become the nation 's next prime minister -- a day after an announcement that Papandreou he will step down amid the country 's financial crisis . Papandreou 's planned resignation -- announced by President Karolos Papoulias -- is contingent on the approval of the controversial 130 billion euro bailout deal . On Sunday , Papandreou met with Antonis Samaras -- the leader of the New Democracy party , Greece 's leading opposition party -- and agreed to form a new government . During Monday 's meeting , the two will discuss who will serve in the new government as well as who will be the next prime minister , according to a statement from the president . New national elections will be held sometime after the bailout is implemented , but no more details nor a timeline of future events were disclosed . Earlier Sunday , Samaras told reporters that once Papandreou resigns , everything will `` take its course '' and `` everything else is negotiable . '' The move appears to close one chapter in Greece 's tumultuous political and economic saga , as Papandreou had become a lightning rod for critics for his leadership of the south European nation as it tackles a prolonged financial plight . It also paves the way for passage of an agreement that Papandreou negotiated October 26 with European leaders . The deal would wipe out 100 billion euros in Greek debt , half of what it owes to private creditors , and includes a promise of 30 billion euros to help the public sector pare its debts -- making the whole package worth a total of 130 billion euros -LRB- $ 178 billion -RRB- . But Greece 's turmoil is far from over . The bailout -- the second it has received from the European Union and International Monetary Fund -- would be accompanied by additional austerity measures such as slashing government jobs , privatizing some businesses and reducing pensions . It also comes at a time when Greece 's economy -- and to some extent the global economy -- is still staggering . Though Greece ranks 32nd in terms of gross domestic product , experts say it wields a disproportionate influence internationally . Economists worry that a Greek default on its debt could pull down larger European economies -- particularly those of Italy and Spain , as well as struggling Portugal and Ireland . Eurozone finance ministers are scheduled to meet Monday in Brussels , Belgium . Within Greece , the bailout 's passage would be a significant victory for Papandreou . He has insisted repeatedly in recent weeks that it needs to be approved -- signaling that he 'd be willing to resign as prime minister , a job he has held since 2009 , as long as that happens . Earlier Sunday , Greece 's president met ahead of a Cabinet meeting with all party leaders -- including Papandreou , who heads the socialist PASOK party , and Samaras . Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos is likely to remain in his post as finance minister in a new government , sources told Greek television . Candidates for the prime minister 's job include Petros Moliviatis and Loukas Papaimos , according to Greek television . The new government will have a life of four months , according to Greek television , citing sources , and elections will take place in early spring . On Monday -- in addition to a meeting between Papandreou and Samaras -- the Greek president will hold another meeting open to heads of all Greece 's political parties . CNN 's Diana Magnay , Jim Boulden and Andrew Carey in Athens and Matthew Chance and Hada Messia in Rome contributed to this report .", "question": "What was Papandreou 's previous position ?", "answer": "Greek Prime Minister"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The same hands that are helping Haiti recover from a massive earthquake could cripple its long-term recovery . That 's the concern voiced by some Haitian scholars , natives and relief workers . The world has rallied to Haiti 's side since the January 12 earthquake killed at least 217,000 people and displaced at least a million in the impoverished island nation . Yet the same groups that have lined up to help Haitians the past two months -- foreign governments , relief groups and companies pledging to rebuild -- could hobble Haiti 's long-term survival , some say . Ronald Agenor , a Haitian-American , says he 's grateful for the world 's assistance . But he does n't want the earthquake to wipe out one of his native country 's most precious assets : its independence . `` We 're not a country anymore , '' said Agenor , a former top-ranked professional tennis player . `` It does n't seem like we have a government . We 're a place where people go to give money . '' How aid can hinder Haiti 's government Much of Haiti 's national identity is shaped around its unique history . Haitians are the descendants of the only slaves who revolted against their masters in the 19th century . Haiti , though , has struggled since it broke away from its colonial rulers , the French . Even before the earthquake , unemployment hovered around 50 percent , and more than half of all Haitians live on a dollar a day . Ongoing political instability adds to Haiti 's misery . Western nations and relief groups have stepped in over the years to help . But some of that help has backfired , says Alex Dupuy , a native of Haiti and a professor of sociology at Wesleyan University in Connecticut . `` Haiti has been transformed over the years into an aid-dependent country , '' Dupuy said . `` Much of the aid has further weakened the ability of the state to deliver . '' In Haiti , the government does n't provide basic services such as sanitation , electricity and drinking water , Dupuy says . Much of that is provided by non-governmental organizations , or NGOs , like relief groups , he says . `` It becomes a vicious cycle , '' Dupuy said . `` The state is never forced to face up to its responsibilities . '' Educated Haitians could stay and help their country , but many prefer to move elsewhere for more comfortable living , Dupuy says . `` There are more Haitian doctors practicing medicine in Montreal than in Haiti , '' Dupuy said . Full earthquake coverage Those educated Haitians who do stay are often siphoned off into working for the non-governmental organizations stationed there , says J. Phil Thompson , an urban studies professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who has traveled to disaster zones around the world to help communities recover . Thompson says there are about 10,000 NGOs in Haiti . `` Haitians often do n't want to work for the government , because the salaries ca n't compete with the donations various intermediaries can pay , '' Thompson said . Profiting from Haiti 's misery Helping hands have hurt Haiti in the past , some Haitians say . Powerful outsiders took advantage of Haiti 's weakened government for profit . Dupuy says that in the early 1970s , Haiti was self-sufficient in its rice production . Today , it is the fourth largest importer of rice from American farmers who are subsidized by the U.S. government . The change came about because much of the foreign aid to Haiti had strings attached . Haiti had to remove its tariffs and open its economy to foreign imports , he says . `` All of which had devastating impacts on Haitian agriculture , '' Dupuy said . `` Haiti has nothing to show for it . Now it imports 25 percent of the food it consumes . '' Haiti 's impoverished condition also provides opportunity for companies that flock to the country . `` It 's being used as a haven for cheap labor in the textiles and garment industries , '' Dupuy says . `` Those industries are going to Haiti because there is an abundance of the cheapest labor in the Western hemisphere . '' Even those companies that promise to help rebuild Haiti must be viewed with suspicion , one scholar says . Haiti 's recovery could be hampered by unscrupulous outsiders and opportunistic Haitians who may seize land for themselves by passing their efforts off as `` helping the recovery , '' Thompson said . After Hurricane Katrina wiped out the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans , Louisiana , a group of developers proposed turning the area into a golf course , Thompson says . After the 2004 Asian tsunami , developers proposed building luxury hotels on the fishing communities that had just been wiped out , he added . The same pattern could repeat itself in Port-au-Prince , the capital , to `` redevelop '' Haiti , Thompson says . `` Everywhere I 've worked , where there 's been a disaster , there 's been land grabs by the elite , '' Thompson said . Haitians say how their country can recover Haitians can come out of this disaster stronger if they take more control of their destiny , Thompson says . Thompson suggests that Haitians create a social investment fund , which would be used to funnel money that expatriates send to their homeland into investments in renewable energy , education and housing . It 's been estimated that up to 36 percent of Haiti 's gross national product comes from remittances , or money Haitians receive from other Haitians abroad . `` Because Haitians are investing in Haiti , they are going to make sure no one is ripped off , '' Thompson said of the investment fund . Agenor , the Haitian-American tennis player , recommends an even more subtle change for improving his country 's prospects : teach more English to Haitian youth . Creole and French are the primary languages in Haiti . But the best employment opportunities for Haitians rest about an hour 's flight away in the U.S. , where English is the main language , Agenor says . `` We have a French culture , but we 're so close to America , '' said Agenor , who now lives in Los Angeles , California . `` When Haitians go to America , they do n't speak English . They ca n't go to college . When other English-speaking islanders go to America , 80 percent of the job is done . '' Relief groups can help Haitians in the short term by not only providing food , shelter and water but by hiring Haitian workers in reconstruction projects and soliciting their advice , one relief expert says . `` There 's nothing worse than a bunch of foreigners coming in to fix everything , '' said David Humphries , a spokesman for CHF International , a humanitarian organization that is in Haiti . `` Self-esteem and buy-in are very important for any community . They need to say , ` This is our building , our hospital . ' '' iReport : Haiti 's missing and found Local input can also avoid wasting precious resources , Humphries says . `` You can build a hospital , but if there 's no functional road to it , it 's a white elephant , '' Humphries said . `` People will despise it . Go in the community , get their input and employ them . '' Despite the challenges ahead , some Haitians remain optimistic . News accounts of the earthquake 's aftermath are filled with stories about the resilience of Haitian people . Maggie Boyer , a Haitian native who is communications director for World Vision , an international Christian humanitarian agency , says the street vendors and the colorful Tap-Tap taxicabs have returned to the streets of Port-au-Prince . `` Given our history as the first black republic , '' Boyer said , `` this has left us with the sense that we are good , we can win , and we can go forward . ''", "question": "What does the sociologist say aid does ?", "answer": "has further weakened the ability of the state to deliver"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The United States and Britain said Wednesday they are committed to remaining in Afghanistan , despite increased military casualties and declining public support for the war effort . U.S. Marines partrol part of the Gharmsir district in Afghanistan 's Helmand province on Wednesday . `` We went into this together , and we will work it through together because we are stronger together , '' British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said after a half day of talks at the State Department with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton . Clinton praised Miliband 's approach on Afghanistan , including the call for the government to reconcile with moderate elements of the Taliban . `` His analysis of the way forward is very much consistent with ours , and we will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder in pursuit of our common objectives , '' Clinton said of her counterpart . In a speech at NATO headquarters on Monday , Miliband called for rank-and-file Taliban to be given the chance to reconcile with the Afghan government , even as the campaign continues against Taliban commanders who are waging jihad . He also urged greater burden sharing not only among NATO allies in Afghanistan but by the Afghan government . `` There is a lot of talk , rightly , about burden sharing within the coalition , but the greatest burden sharing must be between the international community and the government of Afghanistan , which increasingly needs to take the lead -- the security lead , as well as the political lead -- in shaping the future of that country , '' he said . Richard Holbrooke , the U.S. special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan , told reporters that boosting the training of Afghan forces would be a big focus after the country 's August 20 election . When asked whether the election would be fair , Holbrooke , who just returned from the region , said he had heard complaints from all sides but was not `` unduly upset . '' `` It 's an extraordinary thing to hold an election in the middle of a war , and this is the first contested election in Afghanistan in history , '' Holbrooke said , adding the United States has no favorite candidate but only wants `` an election whose outcome is accepted as legitimate by the Afghan people and the world , which reflects the desires of those who vote . '' July has been the deadliest month for U.S. and British forces since the U.S.-led invasion in 2001 , with 39 U.S. troops and 22 British troops killed . Miliband said the effort was going through a `` tough phase , '' but added that the British people understood the `` vital nature '' of the mission to stabilize Afghanistan . British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has been under under enormous pressure from his opposition , which charges that British troops do n't have proper resources to fight the war , including helicopters . But he was sanguine . `` I think the British people will stay with this mission , because there is a clear strategy and a clear determination on behalf of the United States and other coalition members to see this through , '' he said , adding that the British people understood the mission 's `` vital nature . '' Americans , too , have questioned whether the war in Afghanistan is winnable and worth the effort . U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and members of Congress , including Democrats , have predicted that President Obama has a year to show progress in Afghanistan before public support for the war further erodes . Clinton said Britain and the United States `` have made significant gains in the recent operations '' against the Taliban , but `` there remains much work to be done . '' `` We know that this is a challenge that is not going to be easily resolved in a short period of time , '' she said , adding `` both of our countries are still threatened by the same enemy , an enemy that has attacked London , New York and Washington . '' `` We know they 've attacked us in the past , and , unfortunately , we know that they plot against us even today , '' she said .", "question": "Who does the British Foreign Secretary want the Afghan government to reconcile with ?", "answer": "moderate elements of the Taliban"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- For Dr. Lisa Newman , a 16-hour trip over two days from Michigan to Ghana in Africa is just part of the journey in uncovering clues about a rare form of breast cancer . Dr. Lisa Newman hopes to uncover clues in Ghana about an aggressive and rare form of breast cancer . Newman , a surgical oncologist specializing in breast cancer at the University of Michigan , collaborates with doctors in Kumasi , Ghana , in hopes of discovering the origins of an aggressive and difficult to treat form of breast cancer that disproportionately affects black women . It is called triple negative breast cancer or TNBC . `` The women that are most likely to be afflicted with the triple negative breast cancers are younger aged women , women in the pre-menopausal age range , and women with African ancestry , '' says Newman . According to the American Cancer Society , 192,370 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed among women in the United States in 2009 . Triple negative breast cancer represents approximately 15 percent of breast cancer cases in the United States . As an African-American female surgeon , Lisa Newman is a rarity in the United States . African-Americans make up less than 5 percent of physicians in this country , according to the American Medical Association . Newman , who is also the director of the Breast Care Center for the University of Michigan , recalls her early days during the ' 90 's as a general surgeon in Brooklyn , New York . `` It was just heartbreaking every day in the clinic to continuously be seeing African-American women that seemed to be disproportionately afflicted with breast cancers at younger ages , and more advanced stages of disease . '' Little is known about what causes TNBC . But statistics show that black women are twice as likely as white women to get it . When diagnosing breast cancer , doctors look for three markers : estrogen receptors , progesterone receptors and the HER2/neu receptor . These markers show where the cancer is most vulnerable and help determine how best to treat it . The most successful treatments for breast cancer are drugs that specifically target these markers . Doctor travels to Ghana for cancer clues '' However , triple negative breast cancer is negative for all three markers , hence the name , making it very difficult to treat and more likely to recur . With the devastating statistics and grim reality of this disease , Newman began her journey about five years ago to learn more about it . Triple negative breast cancer survivor finds life 's purpose `` We are very interested in looking at whether or not African ancestry in and of itself might actually predispose women to a biologically more aggressive form of breast cancer , such as the triple negative breast cancer . '' Sixty percent of Ghanaian women who have breast cancer have triple negative breast cancer , according to Newman . `` Western sub-Saharan Africa is an important geographic location to focus on because that 's where many of the slave colonies were located several hundred years ago , '' says Newman . To test her theory , Newman sets off for Ghana . Three flights and two days later , she arrives at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in the city of Kumasi . Newman is convinced there 's a profound link between Ghanaian women and African-American women afflicted with TNBC . She hopes her trips each year to the African country could lead to clues about the origins of TNBC or perhaps pave the way to finding a cure . On each trip Newman gathers genetic evidence and tissue samples for her study . But she also believes there 's a cultural and educational benefit for herself and her colleagues through this exchange . `` We bring medical students and trainees with us to Ghana and they get to see what the health care system is like in a medically underserved part of the world , '' she says . `` And our colleagues from Ghana have opportunities to visit with us at the University of Michigan , and to learn more about westernized practices in terms of multidisciplinary care of breast cancer patients . So , it allows trainees and cancer specialists on both sides of the ocean to learn more about each other and about what 's available in different parts of the world . '' Working with her Ghanaian colleagues , Newman sees a wide range of patients . Some women need biopsies on undiagnosed breast abnormalities , while others have diagnosed tumors that have gone untreated for some time . In addition , Newman and her Ghanaian counterparts discuss the day 's cases , a critical step to establishing individualized courses of treatment . Dr. Newman has her own scare with breast cancer '' `` It 's heartbreaking that we see many advanced stage of cancers in the women of Ghana , but it 's a tremendous opportunity to make a difference and to be able to share what we have in the United States with the women here , with our family , our extended family , '' says Newman . Back in the United States , Newman gathers samples at a local Detroit , Michigan , hospital and at events held by the Sisters Network , an organization for black breast cancer survivors . She runs DNA comparisons to the samples gathered in Ghana and one day hopes to correlate African ancestry with the risk of being diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer in African-Americans . If this happens , according to Newman , it will open doors to new treatments .", "question": "Who are mostly affected with triple negative breast cancer ?", "answer": "women , women in the pre-menopausal age range , and women"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Brazilian court ordered Wednesday that 9-year-old Sean Goldman be returned to the custody of his father , David , in the United States , but his Brazilian relatives were expected to try to block the order , a Brazilian official said . Outside his home in New Jersey , David Goldman told reporters he was heartened by the news , but would not consider his efforts successful until he and the boy are reunited . `` I 'm hopeful , '' he said . `` I ca n't be optimistic because I 've gone down there so many times , always under the guise that the rule of law will be followed and Sean will come home to me and his family , and that does n't happen . '' The 3-0 ruling by the Federal Regional Tribunal in Rio de Janeiro upheld a June decision by the 16th Federal Court in Rio , which ordered Sean returned to his home in New Jersey in accordance with the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of Child Abductions . But a Brazilian official with knowledge of the case predicted Wednesday 's order would be appealed . So far , the boy 's Brazilian family has filed 40 appeals , most of them procedural but one substantive . The Brazilian high court is to take up any appeal on Thursday , said Rep. Chris Smith , R-New Jersey , who has been pressing the case for his constituent . `` Frankly , every possible nuance has been appealed by the other side , '' he told CNN 's `` Situation Room . '' `` Remember , this is an abducting family , they 're kidnappers , but they have had a great deal of sway with the court . '' The Supreme Court could still allow Sean Goldman to be returned to his father in the United States while it decides any appeal . Goldman , a former model , said he had last spoken with his son in June , but they did not discuss the custody battle . The case began in 2004 , when his wife , Bruna Bianchi , took their 4-year-old son from their home in New Jersey to Rio de Janeiro for what was to have been a two-week vacation . She never returned , instead remarrying there and retaining custody of their son . She died last year in childbirth . Goldman has argued that , as the sole surviving parent , he should be granted custody . But the boy 's stepfather and his other Brazilian relatives have argued that it would be traumatizing to the boy to remove him from what has been his home for most of his life . The case has drawn high-profile input , including pressure for the boy 's return from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton , who said Wednesday in a statement that she was pleased to hear about the decision . `` We appreciate the assistance and cooperation of the government of Brazil in upholding its obligations under the Hague Convention on International Child Abduction , '' she said . `` And it is my hope that this long legal process is now complete and that the Goldman family will be reunited quickly . '' CNN 's Jill Dougherty contributed to this story .", "question": "Who did the court rule would gain custody of his son ?", "answer": "father , David , in the United States"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The FBI did not participate in harsh interrogations of suspected terrorists detained in Guantanamo Bay , Afghanistan or Iraq , said a Justice Department investigation released Tuesday . An April 2007 photo shows a room at Guantanamo Bay that had been used for interrogations . The investigation also concluded that the bureau generally reported potentially illegal actions by the CIA and Defense Department . In `` only a few instances '' did FBI agents use techniques that were not approved by FBI policies , according to the report by Inspector General Glenn Fine . Fine criticized the FBI for being slow in developing and distributing its interrogation policy to its interrogators . Though the the FBI decided to avoid harsh techniques in August 2002 , the decision was not put in writing until 2004 , when the bureau also put in writing that the harsh techniques used by other agencies should be reported to FBI superiors . The 2002 decision by FBI Director Robert Mueller was that the bureau would adhere to restrictions used in interrogations of detainees within the United States . Those techniques prohibit coercion , abuse or threats . The policy is based on the belief that building a rapport with prisoners is the best way to gain intelligence , according to Tuesday 's report . The FBI issued a statement saying it is `` gratified '' by the report 's findings , and Mueller promised that the bureau will continue to use `` rapport-building techniques in interviews '' of detainees . The inspector general 's investigators interviewed almost all of the more than 1,000 FBI employees who were deployed to one or more military zones between 2001 and 2004 , the report said . The vast majority of the agents adhered to FBI policies and separated themselves from other agencies ' interrogators who were using techniques that the FBI did n't approve of , the report said . The report listed `` a few incidents '' that `` clearly would not be permissible for FBI agents to use in the United States , '' including isolating a prisoner from human contact and participating in an interrogation in which detainees were `` given a ` drink of water ' in a forceful and inappropriate manner . '' It also listed incidents that were not `` clear violations of FBI policy '' but which should have raised questions . Some agents participated in a program of subjecting detainees to frequent cell relocations , the report said . In another case , two agents joined in an interview in which a detainee 's hands and feet were `` short-chained '' close together for several hours , during which time the prisoner urinated on himself . FBI agents reported that non-FBI interrogators engaged in sleep deprivation or sleep disruption techniques , which include using bright lights , loud music and extreme temperatures `` to keep detainees awake or otherwise wear down their resistance . '' No FBI agents witnessed the abuses at Abu Ghraib , the U.S. Army-operated Baghdad correctional facility where some prisoners were physically and sexually abused , sparking outrage when photos of the abuse became public . However , the report said , an FBI agent said he witnessed a naked Abu Ghraib prisoner forced to roll between rows of cells . He did not report the incident because he did n't know whether it was an acceptable technique . The report also said FBI personnel did not witness the controversial waterboarding technique , which the CIA has confirmed was used on three prisoners . The FBI protested when it witnessed techniques used by the military and the CIA in questioning top terror suspects Abu Zubayda and Yousef al-Qarani , according to the report . In one instance , an agent objected to using a snarling dog to interrogate al-Qarani . Despite some criticism , the inspector general offered the FBI modest praise at the conclusion of his three-year investigation . `` We believe that while the FBI could have provided clearer guidance earlier , and while the FBI could have pressed harder for resolution of concerns about detainee treatment by other agencies , the FBI should be credited for its conduct and professionalism in detainee interrogations in the military zones in Guantanamo Bay , Afghanistan and Iraq , and in generally avoiding participation in detainee abuse , '' the report concluded . The inspector general 's investigation did not quiet the FBI 's chief critics . The American Civil Liberties Union said FBI leaders failed to uphold their obligation to `` bring an end to the abuse and application of illegal interrogation methods . '' Rep. Jerrold Nadler , D-New York , chairman of a subcommittee that oversees the FBI , criticized then-Attorney General John Ashcroft and his deputy , Larry Thompson . Nadler said FBI agents ' objections to certain interrogation methods `` fell on deaf ears . '' `` The admirable actions taken by those brave FBI agents willing to speak out were undermined by those who led them , '' he said .", "question": "Who acted generally responsibly ?", "answer": "the CIA and Defense Department"}, {"story_text": "London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A long-awaited inquiry into Britain 's role in the Iraq war got under way Tuesday -- a process that could determine whether former Prime Minister Tony Blair misled his country over the 2003 invasion . The inquiry is expected to be the most thorough investigation yet into the decisions that led up to the war and governed Britain 's involvement , analysts said . It is not a court of law , so the inquiry can not find anyone criminally responsible or even apportion blame . But inquiry members will be able to judge the legality of the conflict . `` The Iraq Inquiry was set up to identify the lessons that should be learned from the UK 's involvement in Iraq , to help future governments who may face similar situations , '' inquiry Chairman John Chilcot said at the opening of the hearings Tuesday . `` To do this , we need to establish what happened . '' Chilcot , a senior civil servant , said on the eve of the hearings that the committee is `` completely determined '' to write the full story of Iraq war decision-making by the British government using all the evidence it can get . Prime Minister Gordon Brown , who announced the inquiry in June , has promised the committee will have access to the full range of information , including secret documents , in order to identify lessons that can be learned from the war . The inquiry officially began July 30 , but Tuesday was the first day of hearings , which are expected to last into the new year . The hearings were initially going to be held behind closed doors , but after criticism the government decided to allow the hearings to be public and televised . The committee has said it will decide on a case-by-case basis whether to keep the hearings private when discussing sensitive or classified information . Blair will be called to testify , Chilcot said earlier this year , and the former prime minister has said he will appear . Other witnesses will be key decision-makers involved in Iraq , Chilcot has said . Chilcot has said the panel members plan to visit Iraq as part of their work , as well as hold discussions with Iraqis outside of the country . Top officials from the British and U.S. governments also might be called on for evidence , he said . Britain has already held four hearings about the Iraq war . But because all were held before the end of 2004 -- so close to the start of the war -- they were hampered by limited information , political analyst Glen Rangwala of Cambridge University told CNN . `` They did n't manage to achieve anything like a comprehensive understanding of the paths that led the UK to support the United States in the invasion , '' he said . `` This will be the first to look at political decision-making that led to the British invasion of 2003 , with the potential to tell a full story . '' People involved in those decisions are more likely to testify now than they were a few years ago , Rangwala said . That partly because British troops are no longer involved in combat in Iraq , but also because the war there is no longer the politicized issue it was when Blair was in power , he said . `` The sort of political sting has been taken out of it , and people who are presenting their evidence to the -LRB- inquiry -RRB- wo n't feel quite so constrained by the political line , or the party line , than they would have a few years ago , '' he said . Britain 's first two inquiries were held by government committees in 2003 . The House of Commons Select Committee on Foreign Affairs examined whether Britain 's Foreign Office gave accurate and complete information to Parliament in the run-up to the war . It found the government exerted no improper influence on the drafting of the dossier given to Parliament on Iraq 's alleged weapons of mass destruction . The Intelligence and Security Committee then examined whether intelligence about Iraq and its weapons was properly assessed and accurately reflected in government publications . Its findings were mixed . The next two inquiries had narrow mandates , looking at specific aspects of the war . The Hutton report from January 2004 investigated the death of David Kelly , a leading microbiologist and former U.N. weapons inspector who committed suicide months earlier . Kelly had worked for the British Ministry of Defence , advising it on Iraq 's weapons of mass destruction , but was later found to be the source of a BBC report that said the government had exaggerated evidence to justify war on Iraq . Following that came the Butler inquiry , which looked at the accuracy of intelligence on weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and elsewhere . It found some of the intelligence sources were `` seriously flawed , '' but that there was no evidence of deliberate distortion or culpable negligence by spy agencies .", "question": "What hearings will be televised ?", "answer": "A long-awaited inquiry into Britain 's role in the Iraq war"}, {"story_text": "MADRID , Spain -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A car bomb exploded Thursday in a parking lot at the University of Navarra in Pamplona , Spain , sparking a massive fire , but `` luckily , '' no one was nearby and there were no deaths , Spain 's interior minister said . `` There could have been an enormous tragedy today at the University of Navarra , '' Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said hours after the attack in a televised address . Hospital officials told CNN that 27 people suffered minor injuries , including one American woman and five other non-Spaniards . The Basque separatist group ETA is suspected to be behind the attack . The car , packed with an unknown quantity of explosives , was parked in a lot near the university 's library and detonated shortly after 11 a.m. local time -LRB- 6 a.m. ET -RRB- , Rubalcaba said . Watch witness describe the blast \u00c2 '' Campus authorities shut down the entire campus shortly after the blast to search for a possible second explosive device near the science building , about a half kilometer -LRB- .3 mile -RRB- from the car bombing , according to CNN 's partner station in Spain , CNN + . Watch report on Pamplona car bomb \u00c2 '' No device was found and the search was called off Thursday afternoon , according to a university spokesman and a representative for the national government 's main office in Navarra . Most of the campus was reopened ; only the area surrounding the bomb blast remained cordoned off , they said . Classes are expected to resume as scheduled on Friday , the university spokesman said . The car bomb sparked a massive fire in the campus ' Central Building , where about 400 students and staff were located at the time , university spokesman Jesus Diaz told CNN + . Video from the scene showed fire engulfing part of the building and thick clouds of black smoke billowing over the campus . Authorities in Spain 's Basque province of Alava received a warning call at 9:50 a.m. in the name of ETA . Watch aftermath of the blast \u00c2 '' The warning call to the DYA emergency services in Alava said the car bomb would strike a university campus in the city of Vitoria about an hour after the phone call , prompting emergency officials to search that campus and determine that the call was merely a false alarm , Rubalcaba said . `` So whoever planted the bomb either gave an intentionally misleading warning call or they made a mistake , '' he said in his televised address . According to CNN + , the University of Navarra has been targeted by ETA six times in the past 30 years , and one faculty member said it is unclear why . `` It is not a political university , '' Professor Maria Teresa La Porte told CNN . `` We do n't understand . '' `` If they are looking for innocent victims , the place to find them is here , '' she said . `` There is no way to stop them . '' She said it is an open campus with students from various backgrounds -- including Basque -- where people `` can come here completely freely . '' The blast could be heard across the campus of the private school , which has 12,000 students -- including more than 1,000 scholars from countries outside Spain . It is also home to Spain 's top-rated journalism school , which is located not too far from the blast site . A spokeswoman for Clinica Universitaria de Navarra -- located across the street from the university -- said that 24 patients were treated for injuries ranging from glass cuts to hearing problems . Most have been released and only two are expected to remain overnight , she said . Two other patients are being treated at Hospital Virgen del Camino , also in Pamplona , but their nationalities were not clear . Those being treated at Clinica Universitaria de Navarra included 18 Spaniards and six others with the following nationalities : American woman from California , age 20 ; Italian woman , age 28 ; Portuguese woman , age 23 ; Chilean woman , age 25 ; Peruvian man , age 28 and Philippines man , age 34 . Thursday 's explosion came just days after Spanish police arrested four suspected ETA members early Tuesday . Authorities accused them of forming a terrorist cell that was ready to attack , the Spanish Interior Ministry said in a statement . Three of the suspects were arrested in or near the city of Pamplona , in Spain 's northern Navarra region , which has Basque roots and was to be the base for the alleged cell , the statement said . The fourth suspect was arrested in the city of Valencia , on Spain 's eastern coast . Police seized two revolvers and ammunition ; various timers that might be used for bombs ; detonating cord ; items that might be used to make a bomb attached to the underside of vehicles ; various substances that might be used to make explosives ; and computer documentation , the ministry said . All four suspects -- three men and a woman -- were born in Pamplona and range in age from 26 to 29 , the ministry said . ETA is blamed for more than 800 killings in its four-decade-long fight for Basque independence . The European Union and the United States list ETA as a terrorist group . CNN Madrid Correspondent Al Goodman contributed to this report .", "question": "What arrests preceded the bombing ?", "answer": "from the car bombing , according to CNN 's partner station in Spain , CNN + . Watch report on Pamplona car bomb \u00c2 ''"}, {"story_text": "Editor 's Note : Lucas A. Powe Jr. is a professor of constitutional law at The University of Texas and the author of the recently published book , `` The Supreme Court and the American Elite , 1789-2008 . '' He clerked for Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas . Lucas Powe Jr. says it 's not a surprise that justices voted 5-4 in favor of the New Haven firefighters . AUSTIN , Texas -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Monday , in the much anticipated New Haven , Connecticut , firefighters ' case , the Supreme Court reversed an opinion joined by Judge Sonia Sotomayor , President Obama 's Supreme Court nominee . The reversal was expected and is not the first time an appointee has been reversed by the court he was about to join . Indeed , two of Chief Justice Warren Burger 's opinions for the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals were reversed in 1969 , the year he joined the court . One was Watts v. United States , in which the defendant had been convicted for threatening the life of the president . By a 5-4 vote , the Supreme Court reversed , holding that Watts ' supposed threats were really nothing but hyperbole . The decision came down one month before President Nixon nominated Burger . More significantly , after Burger had been confirmed , the Court reversed him again , this time in a major case -- Powell v. McCormack . The House had refused to seat Harlem , New York , Democratic Rep. Adam Clayton Powell after he won yet another election . The reasons for the House 's action were misappropriation of public funds and abuse of process in state courts to avoid paying a judgment . Burger wrote that federal courts could not decide Powell 's case because the issue was nonjusticiable -- that is , not appropriate for a judicial resolution because issues of membership in Congress were exclusively committed to Congress . When the case reached the Supreme Court , a lengthy opinion by Chief Justice Earl Warren held that courts could rule in such a case and that a House of Congress could only exclude someone if that person did not meet the qualifications , age , citizenship and residence requirements set forth in the Constitution . There was but a single dissent . The reversal of Sotomayor was expected because a majority of the current court are Republicans who believe governmental decisions should be made on a color-blind basis . Beginning with the presidency of Ronald Reagan , Republicans have taken aim at affirmative action , and the Republican justices have concurred . Only once in the past 15 years has the Republican majority voted in favor of minorities in an affirmative action case . That came in 2003 , when the court upheld the affirmative action program at the University of Michigan Law School . That case , however , was profoundly influenced by an amicus brief signed by 45 retired admirals and generals -LRB- plus former Defense Secretary William Cohen -RRB- stating that affirmative action was essential at the Service Academies in order to create a diverse officer corps in order to ensure necessary military cohesiveness . When asked about the military brief , Solicitor General Theodore Olson stated that he had not thought about the consequences of ending affirmative action at the Service Academies . That was enough for Justice Sandra Day O'Connor , a Republican , who switched from her normal skepticism of affirmative action to sustain the law school program . Nevertheless , four Republican justices -- William Rehnquist , Antonin Scalia , Anthony Kennedy and Clarence Thomas -- voted to invalidate the program . With John Roberts replacing Rehnquist and Samuel Alito replacing O'Connor , the court acquired a majority that appears more concerned about discrimination against whites than about racial equality in American society . Thus just two years ago in cases out of Seattle , Washington , and Louisville , Kentucky , the Republican majority invalidated school assignment plans that the school districts themselves had decided were appropriate to prevent resegregation . With those cases as background , the majority 's sympathy for the plight of Frank Ricci , who studied so hard for the New Haven promotion examination , was easily predictable . But so was the fact that the four dissenters in the Seattle and Louisville cases -- John Paul Stevens , Ruth Bader Ginsburg , Stephen Breyer and the now-retired David Souter -- would side with the city in its concern that the results of the test left no African-Americans eligible for promotion . What the New Haven case showed was that Republicans have been winning presidential elections and therefore gaining Supreme Court nominations more often than Democrats for the past generation . So when a Democratic president finally got a nomination , any person selected would dissent from the Republicans ' disdain for affirmative action . It is merely a coincidence that the nominee , Sotomayor , happened to participate in the case already . Some Republican senators may try to use the New Haven majority to paint Sotomayor as out of the mainstream . But that conclusion requires painting the four dissenters as out of the mainstream , too . Only the Republican base could believe that . Sotomayor will be confirmed without a hiccup . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Lucas A. Powe Jr. .", "question": "What did Powe say about Justices ?", "answer": "it 's not a surprise that justices voted 5-4 in favor of the New Haven firefighters"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The wife of missing adventurer Steve Fossett has asked a court to declare him dead . Steve Fossett and wife Peggy in a February 2006 photograph . Fossett was last seen in early September , flying a single-engine plane on a pleasure flight from a Nevada ranch . A month-long search for the plane was unsuccessful . `` As difficult as it is for me to reach this conclusion , I no longer hold out any hope that Steve has survived , '' wrote Peggy V. Fossett in court documents filed Monday with the Cook County -LSB- Illinois -RSB- Circuit Court . She asked that the will of her husband of 38 years be admitted to probate . At about 8:45 a.m. on September 3 , the millionaire took off on what he said was to be a solo pleasure flight over the Sierra Nevada mountain range . He had planned to fly over the Nevada desert for two to three hours , and was expecting to return for lunch to the Nevada ranch , from which he departed . He was carrying a single bottle of water and had no parachute , lawyers for Mrs. Fossett said in the court documents . At 3 p.m. , when he had not returned , a search began that ultimately included thousands of volunteers . It continued until October 2 . `` No one involved in the search holds out any hope that Fossett is still alive , '' the petition said . Rick Rains , a sheriff 's supervisor of the San Diego County Sheriff 's Department , said Fossett 's plane was last spotted at 11 a.m. less than 20 miles from the ranch 's airport . `` Given the timeline and the sighting of Fossett 's plane , I believe he was within 20 to 25 miles of the ranch when he crashed , '' Rains said . But , he noted , `` the terrain is very difficult to search , with many areas where the crevices , deep ravines and closely grown trees make it impossible to see from the air what is on the ground . '' `` If Fossett was physically able to find water to survive on in the Nevada desert , he would have been physically capable of signaling searchers , by doing something as simple as crafting a large X of sticks or rocks , or by starting a signal fire , '' Rains said . In affidavits supporting his wife 's petition , Fossett 's doctor described the 63-year-old man as physically and mentally fit . Robert Keilholtz , a captain in the California Civil Air Patrol who was involved in the search , noted that the difficulty in finding wreckage was underscored by the fact that World War II-era plane wreckage was discovered last spring in the mountain range . In the search for Fossett , wreckage from eight other crashes was discovered , one of them from the 1960s , the lawyers said . Fossett made his money in the financial services industry , but is renowned for his daredevil exploits , which include nonstop , round-the-world trips aboard a balloon , a fixed-wing plane and a boat . At the time of his disappearance , Fossett was working on a project to build a single-man submarine and to build a vehicle capable of breaking land speed records by traveling at up to 800 mph , lawyers for his wife said . E-mail to a friend", "question": "What did the sheriff say about an experienced flyer ?", "answer": "he said was to be a solo pleasure flight over the Sierra Nevada mountain range"}, {"story_text": "LAGOS , Nigeria -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- More than 400 people have been killed in a spate of violence in northern Nigeria , the president of a human rights group said Tuesday . More than 150 alleged militants were arrested by Nigerian police after clashes . The violence has pitted Islamic militants against government police and troops in the north-central part of the nation , officials said . Attacks continued Tuesday in the suburbs of the northern city of Maiduguri , said Shehu Sani , president of the Civil Rights Congress , a human rights organization based in northern Nigeria . People there are seeking refuge in police and military barracks and in hospitals , he said . Police and troops were dispatched to the militants ' hideouts after they began attacks on government establishments Sunday , said police spokesman Moses Anegbode . As authorities exchanged fire with the militants , 41 people , including a soldier and a policeman , were killed , Anegbode said Monday . In addition , some 176 people were arrested in Bauchi , he said . Besides Bauchi , militants also staged attacks on the nearby states of Yobe and Borno on Sunday and Monday , said Emmanuel Ojukwu , spokesman for the national police . Yobe 's police commissioner , Alhaji Muhammed Abbas , said that 23 suspected militants were arrested in connection with a bomb attack at a police station in Potiskum that killed a policeman and a civilian and wounded seven people . The official News Agency of Nigeria reported that as many as 100 members of a religious sect led by Sheikh Mohammed Yusuf may have been killed in a confrontation with police . In Borno , police spokesman Isa Azare said that two policemen were killed in an attack on police headquarters late Monday . `` The religious fanatics took the police unawares , '' Azare told the government-affiliated New Nigerian newspaper . `` That was why they succeeded in killing all the officers on night duty . '' Panicked residents stayed inside in all three states , and businesses shut down , even though officials said the situation was under control . The militants used guns , bows and arrows and machetes in the attacks , officials said . The militants disagree with the government 's teaching of Islam in the region , maintaining that the government allows itself to be influenced by Western values , and have been attacking government offices and Islamic clergy . There is a history of religious violence in central Nigeria , where majority-Muslim north Africa meets largely Christian sub-Saharan Africa . Human Rights Watch estimates that more than 1,000 people were killed in riots in 2001 . The human rights organization alleged last week that police and soldiers killed at least 133 people during two days of riots between Muslims and Christians in Nigeria last year . Most of the victims were young Muslim men , often unarmed , the group charged in testimony before a state commission examining the riots and in a separate report . More than 700 people died in the violence , the organization said , citing local religious authorities on both sides of the divide . CNN 's Christian Purefoy contributed to this report .", "question": "what do militants disagree about", "answer": "with the government 's teaching of Islam in the region"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A street vendor in Ghana 's capital sells small American flags with an image of President Obama on them , in front of a billboard that proclaims `` Akwaaba '' -- or `` Welcome '' -- next to a smiling image of the U.S. leader . President Obama says he chose Ghana partly because of the `` democratic commitments '' by President Mills . When Obama arrives in Accra on Friday night , he will be the third sitting American president to visit the West African nation of Ghana . But unlike Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush , Obama is only visiting Ghana and no other country in the continent . Obama said he picked Ghana as the first African country he would visit as U.S. president partly because of the `` democratic commitments '' demonstrated by President John Atta Mills , who took office in January after a close election . `` By traveling to Ghana , we hope to highlight the effective governance that they have in place , '' Obama said Tuesday in an interview with AllAfrica.com . During his 24-hour visit to Ghana , Obama will meet with the president and address parliament before he and first lady Michelle Obama tour the Cape Coast Castle , which was used in the trans-Atlantic slave trade . Security has been tight all week in Accra , and Ghana plans to deploy some 10,000 security forces during Obama 's visit , according to Ghana News Agency -LRB- GNA -RRB- . The White House has set up SMS codes to allow people across Africa to send `` words of welcome '' via text message to Obama during his visit . Obama has already received thousands of messages , and plans to answer several of the questions sent to him , the British Broadcasting Corporation reported on Thursday . Bill Clinton was the first U.S. president to visit Ghana , in 1998 , as part of a six-nation Africa tour . Obama 's predecessor , George W. Bush , stopped there during a four-nation Africa tour during his last year of office that largely focused on U.S. aid programs . Ghana 's government named a road after Bush to recognize his government 's contribution towards the country 's development . As the United States ' first African-American president , Obama 's trip has broader significance as well . Obama 's father is from Kenya and he expressed concern about the political situation in that East African nation . `` The political parties -LSB- in Kenya -RSB- do not seem to be moving into a permanent reconciliation that would allow the country to move forward , '' Obama told AllAfrica.com . `` And Kenya is not alone in some of the problems that we 've seen of late , post-election or pre-election . '' Many in Kenya were critical of Obama 's decision to pick Ghana the first African nation he visited instead of his father 's birthplace . During his campaign for president , Obama was hailed by many as a `` son of Kenya . '' Shortly after the White House announced the Ghana trip in May , newspaper headlines in Nairobi asked , `` Why Obama Snubbed Kenya . '' A political cartoon in one Kenyan paper showed Air Force One dropping a note to Kenya 's leaders saying , `` Get your act together , '' as it flew over the country . Obama said he wanted his visit to Africa to mean more than just something to cross off his list as U.S. president . `` I actually thought that it made sense for us to connect a trip to Ghana to a previous trip with the G8 ... to show that Africa is directly connected to our entire foreign policy approach , '' Obama told AllAfrica.com . `` That it 's not some isolated thing where once every term you go visit Africa for a while to check that box , but rather it 's an ongoing part of a broader discussion about how we move many of these international challenges forward . '' As Ghana gears up for the visit , a group of local singers and rap artists wrote a welcome song for Obama and produced a music video on YouTube . `` President Obama , Welcome to Ghana , '' they sing , with images of U.S. and Ghanaian flags interspersed between the musicians . `` We welcome you to the Land of Gold . ''", "question": "What did Kenyan media wonder about ?", "answer": "Obama 's decision to pick Ghana the first African nation he visited"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The man accused in the brutal killing of Arkansas television anchor Anne Pressly will appear next Thursday in Pulaski County Circuit Court , where he will enter a plea in the high-profile case . Anne Pressly , 26 , was a news anchor at KATV in Little Rock , Arkansas . Curtis Lavell Vance , 28 , was formally charged Thursday with capital murder , rape , residential burglary and theft , Prosecutor Larry Jegley said Friday . Neither he nor police would discuss details of the case because of a gag order imposed by the judge . Jegley has n't said whether he will seek the death penalty . Jegley said Vance , who denies he was in Little Rock , Arkansas , when Pressly was killed , was being held at the Pulaski County Regional Detention Facility . Vance was linked to the killing through DNA testing . Lt. Terry Hastings , spokesman for Little Rock police , told CNN in December that investigators are `` 110 percent '' certain Vance killed Pressly , 26 , who was the morning news anchor for KATV , a CNN affiliate . Pressly was found unconscious in her home October 20 and died five days later at a hospital . `` She fought for her life . She fought her attacker . Her left hand was broken from trying to fight this man off , '' Pressly 's mother , Patti Cannady , told NBC . `` Six weeks ago this morning , I found my daughter beyond recognition with every bone in her face broken , her nose broken , her jaw pulverized so badly that the bone had come out of it ; I actually thought that her throat had possibly been cut . Her entire skull had numerous fractures from which she suffered a massive stroke . '' Hastings told CNN that DNA evidence also ties Vance to a rape in April in Marianna , Arkansas , about 90 miles east of Little Rock . The affidavit related to the Pressly case , from Little Rock detective Tommy Hudson , said police made contact with Vance at his home in Marianna . Hastings said investigators have found no link between Pressly and Vance , and they do not believe Pressly 's being on TV had anything to do with the killing . `` I think he saw her someplace , probably followed her home with intention of robbing her . And then went from there . '' The killer also took Pressly 's purse , Hastings said .", "question": "Who is Curtis Lavell Vance ?", "answer": "The man accused in the brutal killing of Arkansas television anchor Anne Pressly"}, {"story_text": "LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Michael Bookatz , 32 , was walking home one night in January when he noticed a man walking toward him . Michael Bookatz as he looked when first responders arrived after he was attacked . `` Then he just suddenly ran up to me and punched me in the face , '' he said . `` He started stamping on me , kicking me . A friend of his came from the other side of the road and started stamping and kicking on me . And they said : ` This is because of what happened to the Palestinians in Gaza . ' '' The attack on Bookatz -- a Jew who wears a skullcap and lives in a particularly Jewish neighborhood of London -- is one of more than 250 assaults on Jewish targets in the United Kingdom since the beginning of the year , according to the Community Security Trust , a non-governmental organization which monitors anti-Semitism in Britain . The group recorded more than 200 incidents in the month of January alone , the highest monthly total it has seen since it began keeping records in 1984 . London 's Metropolitan Police `` report that since December , there have been four times as many anti-Semitic attacks as attacks on Muslims , even though there are seven or eight times the number of British Muslims as there are Jews , '' said British lawmaker Denis MacShane , who chaired the country 's first parliamentary inquiry into anti-Semitism . Against this backdrop , London hosted a two-day international conference on combating anti-Semitism Monday and Tuesday . Watch what Bookatz says of the attack on him '' MacShane called it the `` first conference of its type , '' bringing together lawmakers from at least 35 different countries . `` Parliaments now have to acknowledge that anti-Semitism is back . It 's a potent ideological force , causing fears to Jews in many different countries , and it has to be combated by all people that care about democracy , '' MacShane said . It is not only a problem for Jews to tackle , the lawmaker said . `` I 'm not Jewish . Most people at the conference are not Jewish , '' he said . The rise in attacks on Jewish targets comes amid heightened tension in the Middle East , the Community Security Trust noted . The incidents include arson and graffiti attacks on synagogues , verbal and physical abuse of Jews , and hate mail . Similar events were reported across Europe during Israel 's three-week military assault on Hamas in Gaza in December and January , the CST said in a statement . But Bookatz is not convinced Gaza is the real reason for the assaults on Jews . `` Anti-Semitism is around , '' he said . `` It has always been around . Throughout my life , I have experienced anti-Semitic attacks . `` Gaza was probably a focal point , something that triggered it : ` OK , now that Gaza is happening , we can use it as an excuse to attack people , ' '' Bookatz said . MacShane said lawmakers around the world needed to take a stand against anti-Semitism . `` We would like to get the police to take anti-Semitism seriously , to take Internet anti-Semitism seriously , '' he said . `` We need to say to countries that promote anti-Semitism : ` Drop that hate of Jews . ' '' He warned anti-Semitism was an indicator of other problems . `` Whenever anti-Semitism sinks roots , the world is heading in a disastrously wrong direction , '' he said . `` That is a lesson from history . If we do n't tackle anti-Semitism in the early stage , then it devours democracy . '' CNN 's Atika Shubert and Eileen Hsieh contributed to this report", "question": "what is the reason for the attacks", "answer": "because of what happened to the Palestinians in Gaza"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Author Arthur C. Clarke , whose science fiction and non-fiction works ranged from the script for `` 2001 : A Space Odyssey '' to an early proposal for communications satellites , has died at age 90 , associates have said . Visionary author Arthur C. Clarke had fans around the world . Clarke had been wheelchair-bound for several years with complications stemming from a youthful bout with polio and had suffered from back trouble recently , said Scott Chase , the secretary of the nonprofit Arthur C. Clarke Foundation . He died early Wednesday -- Tuesday afternoon ET -- at a hospital in Colombo , Sri Lanka , where he had lived since the 1950s , Chase said . `` He had been taken to hospital in what we had hoped was one of the slings and arrows of being 90 , but in this case it was his final visit , '' he said . In a videotaped 90th birthday message to fans , Clarke said he still hoped to see some sign of intelligent life beyond Earth , more work on alternatives to fossil fuels -- and `` closer to home , '' an end to the 25-year civil war in Sri Lanka between the government and ethnic Tamil separatists . `` I dearly wish to see lasting peace established in Sri Lanka as soon as possible , '' he said . `` But I 'm aware that peace can not just be wished -- it requires a great deal of hard work , courage and persistence . '' Clarke and director Stanley Kubrick shared an Academy Award nomination for best adapted screenplay for `` 2001 . '' The film grew out of Clarke 's 1951 short story , `` The Sentinel , '' about an alien transmitter left on the moon that ceases broadcasting when humans arrive . As a Royal Air Force officer during World War II , Clarke took part in the early development of radar . In a paper written for the radio journal `` Wireless World '' in 1945 , he suggested that artificial satellites hovering in a fixed spot above Earth could be used to relay telecommunications signals across the globe . He is widely credited with introducing the idea of the communications satellite , the first of which were launched in the early 1960s . But he never patented the idea , prompting a 1965 essay that he subtitled , `` How I Lost a Billion Dollars in My Spare Time . '' His best-known works , such as '' 2001 '' or the 1953 novel `` Childhood 's End , '' combined the hard science he learned studying physics and mathematics with insights into how future discoveries would change humanity . David Eicher , editor of Astronomy magazine , told CNN that Clarke 's writings were influential in shaping public interest in space exploration during the 1950s and '60s . Watch how Clarke stands among sci-fi giants '' `` He was very interested in technology and also in humanity 's history and what lay out in the cosmos , '' Eicher said . His works combined those `` big-picture '' themes with `` compelling stories that were more interesting and more complex than other science fiction writers were doing , '' he said . Tedson Meyers , the chairman of the Clarke Foundation , said the organization is now dedicated to reproducing the combination of imagination and knowledge that he credited the author with inspiring . `` The question for us is , how does human imagination bring about such talent on both sides of the brain ? '' he asked . `` How do you find the next Arthur Clarke ? '' Clarke was knighted in 1998 . He wrote dozens of novels and collections of short stories and more than 30 nonfiction works during his career , and served as a television commentator during several of the Apollo moon missions . Though humans have not returned to the moon since 1972 , Clarke said he was confident that a `` Golden Age '' of space travel was just beginning . Watch Clarke talk about sci-fi vs. reality '' `` After half a century of government-sponsored efforts , we are now witnessing the emergence of commercial space flight , '' he said in his December birthday message . `` Over the next 50 years , thousands of people will travel to Earth orbit -- and then , to the moon and beyond . Space travel and space tourism will one day become almost as commonplace as flying to exotic destinations on our own planet . '' E-mail to a friend", "question": "What was his best known work ?", "answer": "2001 '' or the 1953 novel `` Childhood 's End"}, {"story_text": "LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Profits at celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay 's British restaurants plunged by nearly 90 percent in the last 12 months . Gordon Ramsay has become as successful on television as he has been off-screen . Run by the Scottish-born chef and his father-in-law Chris Hutcheson , Gordon Ramsay Holdings reported a drop in annual turnover from # 41.6 million -LRB- $ 68 million -RRB- to # 35 million -LRB- $ 57 million -RRB- in the year to August 2008 , Britain 's Press Association reported Friday . Pre-tax profits plummeted by over # 3 million -LRB- $ 4.9 million -RRB- to # 383,325 -LRB- $ 627,000 -RRB- , while net debt in the group , which includes London restaurants such as Claridges , Maze and the flagship Royal Hospital Road , soared to almost # 9.5 million -LRB- $ 15.5 million -RRB- . With spiraling debts and crippling tax bills , the star of TV shows such as `` Ramsay 's Kitchen Nightmares '' and `` Hell 's Kitchen '' was forced to pump huge amounts of his own money into the business , even selling his prized Ferrari to raise funds , The Guardian newspaper said . Ramsay has attributed his business problems to over-ambitious expansion plans , in addition to the closure of two of his 11 London eateries . The Michelin-starred chef opened ten restaurants between 2007 and 2008 , while The Savoy Grill was forced to close as the Savoy hotel was refurbished , and the lease at the Connaught expired . The 42-year old was also forced to review his company 's international operations , closing restaurants in Paris , Los Angeles and Prague , The Times newspaper reported . `` Ambition overtook me . We thought we could do anything , that we could n't fail , '' PA quoted Ramsay as saying recently . A full review of the group 's operations was instigated in December as part of a refinancing deal with the Royal Bank of Scotland and to help the business get through the troubled economic times . `` 2008 brought its own challenges , not just for our group , but for the industry as a whole and the broader economy , '' Hutcheson told PA. . `` Whilst the restructuring has benefited the group , the significant contribution and commitment of all 750 staff to the business has been integral to moving us to a position of strength . '' Ramsay has endured a difficult time recently . Last month he was criticized by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd after reportedly comparing television star Tracy Grimshaw to a pig during a live cooking show in Melbourne . His trademark colorful language also came under fire last year by another Australian lawmaker . However Ramsay told the country 's Channel Nine Network , which broadcasts Kitchen Nightmares and Hell 's Kitchen , that the shows emphasize the `` pressures of working in a restaurant kitchen . ''", "question": "What was latest turnover by Ramsay ?", "answer": "# 41.6 million -LRB- $ 68 million -RRB- to # 35 million -LRB- $ 57 million"}, {"story_text": "ORLANDO , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The mother of missing Florida toddler Caylee Anthony was arrested and charged Friday with forgery , fraudulent use of personal information and petty theft , the Orange County Sheriff 's Department said . Casey Anthony was taken into custody Friday night at her parents ' home in Orlando , Florida . The charges relate to Casey Anthony 's use of `` some monies and checks in an account that did not belong to her and she knew that , '' Orange County Capt. Angelo Nieves said . Orange County Sheriff 's Department officers ushered a handcuffed Anthony through a crowd of protesters that had gathered outside her parents ' Orlando home . The protesters cheered as Anthony -- wearing a T-shirt with Caylee 's picture and the words `` Have you seen me ? '' -- was taken to a unmarked police car . The dramatic scene played out live on CNN Headline News ' `` Nancy Grace . '' Watch Casey Anthony being taken into custody '' Anthony had been out on bail after being charged with child neglect , making false official statements and obstructing a criminal investigation into her daughter 's disappearance . On Thursday , a bounty hunter who had posted bond for Anthony said he planned to revoke the bond . Watch bounty hunter Leonard Padilla explain why he wants to revoke bond '' The new charges carry an initial $ 3,000 bail , Nieves said . Anthony reported her 3-year-old daughter missing in July , a month after the last known sighting of her . Law enforcement sources said DNA evidence suggested that a strand of hair in the trunk of a car linked to Casey Anthony was Caylee 's . Nieves confirmed reports that tests had `` indicated human decomposition was present and located in the defendant 's vehicle . '' After holding onto `` high hopes '' that Caylee could be found alive , Nieves said Friday , `` that hope is somewhat diminished . '' Anthony told police that a babysitter kidnapped Caylee , but police found inconsistencies in her story , according to police reports . Police learned of the car from Anthony 's mother , Cindy Anthony . At that time , Cindy Anthony told authorities that it smelled as if a dead body had been in the trunk . Cindy Anthony has since said she believes that her granddaughter is alive .", "question": "What is Anthony charged with ?", "answer": "forgery , fraudulent use of personal information and petty theft"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A racially-charged word with many meanings may be at the root of a dispute between two sports rivals that reaches far beyond the soccer field , analysts say . Manchester United 's Patrice Evra , who is black , says the word Uruguayan Luis Suarez shouted repeatedly during a match last month was a racial slur . Evra demanded that Suarez be held accountable for the controversial exchange , which erupted as authorities investigate other accusations of racism in soccer . Suarez , a striker for Liverpool , has n't specified what he said , but he argues that it was n't offensive . `` I did n't insult him . It was only a form of expressing myself . I called him something his own teammates from Manchester call him , '' Suarez said , according to the Uruguayan newspaper El Pais . British media reports have suggested Suarez used the Spanish word `` negrito . '' If that 's the case , whether Suarez 's remark was racist is a complicated question that does n't have a black-and-white answer , according to scholars who 've studied race issues in Latin America . Leading figures call on soccer chief to step down `` It 's about questions of translation or context , '' said Mark Sawyer , director of the Center for the Study of Race , Ethnicity and Politics at the University of California Los Angeles . The word 's literal translation is `` little black man . '' But generally , negrito is not considered a racial slur in Latin America , Sawyer said . In fact , it frequently has a positive meaning . `` It 's often a term of endearment , '' he said . But what the word means also depends on where -- and how -- it 's said . `` In Puerto Rico , it has one meaning . In Cuba it has a slightly different connotation and in the Dominican Republic it has a slightly different connotation , '' said Jorge Chinea , director of the Center for Chicano-Boricua Studies at Wayne State University in Detroit . Blatter a controversial figure Chinea said his mother and stepfather , both of whom were light-skinned , frequently used the word . `` When they talked as a couple , my mother would say , ` negrito , I love you . ' ... I grew up listening to those expressions commonly being used by a lot of people in my community in Puerto Rico . And it was never associated with any color , '' he said . After he moved to the United States in the 1960s , Chinea said , the word took on a different meaning . Many of his acquaintances used racial nicknames , he said , but there was no harm intended . `` It was always more like a quick way of acknowledging the distinctiveness of that person in a very friendly way , '' he said . But Chinea said one of his Cuban colleagues in graduate school who employed the word drew criticism . `` When he used it and other people heard it , people came to me to complain . ... In the United States , it sounds offensive to some people , '' Chinea said . In Uruguay , the meaning is clear , said U.S. radio talk show host Fernando Espuelas , who originally hails from the South American country . `` It 's not a slur whatsoever , '' said Espuelas , whose show often addresses racism in the Latino community . `` It 's a term of endearment . You definitely would not use that if you were angry . It would sound ridiculous . '' Blatter comments spark Twitter storm Several scholars said the word 's meaning could be connected with complicated racial politics in different Latin American countries , which each had unique historical experiences with colonization and the slave trade . Uruguay , Chinea noted , has a smaller population of African descendants than some other Latin American nations . In 2006 , about 9 % of the population declared `` Afro or black '' roots , according to Uruguay 's National Statistics Institute . `` If I were of African descent and someone from that part of the world was to use the word toward me , I would probably think twice about what the intentions are , whereas if the person who was saying it was from Cuba you 'd probably take it as a joke . And if you said it to a Puerto Rican , they 'd just love it , '' Chinea said . Using the word negrito to describe U.S. President Barack Obama got a Honduran government official into hot water in 2009 . Then-Foreign Minister Enrique Ortez was forced to resign after he called Obama a `` negrito who does not know where -LRB- the Honduran capital of -RRB- Tegucigalpa is . '' But analysts said without hearing exactly what Suarez shouted in the October football match , or how he said it , it 's impossible to know what he meant . `` It 's a very interesting case . It will be interesting to see if the English Football Association actually consults experts on this , '' Sawyer said . `` If you want to charge someone with racism or making a racial slur , the person should at least have the intent of making a slur . It 's not necessarily clear that Luis Suarez had that intent . '' The association said Wednesday that it was charging Suarez , but did not provide details about what transpired . `` It is alleged that Suarez used abusive and/or insulting words and/or behavior towards Manchester United 's Patrice Evra contrary to FA rules , '' the association said in a statement . `` It is further alleged that this included a reference to the ethnic origin and/or color and/or race of Patrice Evra , '' the statement said . Liverpool said in a statement that the club expects Suarez to request a personal hearing on the issue and `` remains determined to clear his name of the allegation made against him by Patrice Evra . '' In a post on his Facebook page shortly after the October match , Suarez said the accusations of racism upset him . `` I can only say that I have always respected and respect everybody , '' he said . `` We are all the same . I go to the field with the maximum -LRB- enthusiasm -RRB- of a little child who enjoys what he does , not to create conflicts . '' Evra , in an interview with France 's Canal Plus , said evidence would support his claim . `` There are cameras . You can see him say a certain word to me at least 10 times . There is no place for that in 2011 , '' he said . Issues of racism have repeatedly surged on the soccer field in recent years , despite efforts to combat it . Chelsea and England captain John Terry is at the center of a investigation by London 's Metropolitan Police and the English Football Association after allegedly making racist remarks to Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand during an October game . Former Brazil defender Robert Carlos walked off the field during a Russian league match in June after a banana was thrown at him from the stands , while the Malaysian Football Association was forced to apologize to Chelsea in July when their Israeli midfielder Yossi Benayoun was subject to racial slurs during a pre-season encounter . But FIFA president Sepp Blatter told CNN this week that he believes there is no on-field racism in the sport . `` Maybe one of the players towards the other , he has a word or a gesture which is not the correct one . But also , the one who is affected by that , he should say , ` It 's a game . ' We are in a game . At the end of the game , we shake hands , this can happen , because we have worked so hard against racism and discrimination , '' he said . Blatter 's comments provoked an immediate response from some players , including Manchester United 's Rio Ferdinand , Anton 's brother . `` Your comments on racism are so condescending -LRB- it 's -RRB- almost laughable . If fans shout racist chants but shake our hands is that ok ? '' he wrote in a Twitter post . Blatter later took to Twitter to explain his comments , posting : `` Sometimes , in the heat of the moment , things are said and done on the field of play which are wrong . This does not mean that , in general , there is racism on the field of play . Football unites people more than it divides them . '' CNN 's Chris Murphy contributed to this report .", "question": "What does British media reports suggest ?", "answer": "British media reports have suggested Suarez used the Spanish word `` negrito"}, {"story_text": "HARARE , Zimbabwe -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Zimbabwe police arrested on Friday a magistrate who ordered the release of a senior opposition politician granted bail by the country 's High Court , a lawyer said . A Zimbabwean policeman patrols outside the entrance of Mutare Magistrates court . The order to release the politician had been suspended when state lawyers appealed the HIgh Court decision . Trust Maanda , a lawyer in Mutare city about 300 kilometers -LRB- 186 miles -RRB- east of Harare , told CNN by phone that magistrate Livingstone Chipadze had been arrested . `` He is in police custody . The police are saying he ordered the release of Roy Bennett in compliance with the High Court ruling , '' said Maanda . Bennett is the choice of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change -LRB- MDC -RRB- for deputy agriculture minister under the power-sharing government formed last month . On Wednesday , Chipadze ordered Bennett be released from a prison in Mutare as had been ruled by the High Court last week . However , that order , which required Bennett to post $ 2,000 as bail , was suspended after the state filed an appeal with Zimbabwe 's Supreme Court . `` I can confirm the arrest , but I will be in position to tell you the charge he will face later , '' said a police official in Mutare over the phone . `` He is likely to go to court on Saturday or Monday . But most magistrates here -LSB- in Mutare -RSB- have gone on strike over his arrest . '' Chipadze joins Bennett in prison in Mutare . Bennett was arrested on February 13 and is facing charges of possessing arms for the purposes of banditry , terrorism and sabotage . The continued detention of Bennett , an ally of MDC leader and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai , is seen by many as a crack in the foundation of the coalition Tsvangirai formed with President Robert Mugabe . Meanwhile , a Zimbabwe High Court judge Friday ordered the immediate release of three human rights activists in state `` safe custody '' to testify against human rights activist Jestina Mukoko , who is facing charges of plotting to topple Mugabe . Opposition MDC activists Fannie Tembo , Lloyd Tarumbwa and Terry Musona have been missing since October last year after they were abducted from their homes under the cover of darkness . Lawyers Chris Mhike and Innocent Chagonda took the state to the High Court in an attempt to win the release the trio . But the state represented by Nelson Mutsonziwa had opposed the application , saying the three would be state witnesses when the trial of Mukoko starts . The MDC lawyers then successfully argued that the three were bread winners for their families and the state had not provided their families with assistance while they are in custody . Delivering the judgment , Justice Ben Hlatswayo said , `` I order the immediate release of Fannie Tembo , Lloyd Tarumbwa and Terry Musona from police custody or the custody of any other state agent . This order stands enforceable notwithstanding the noting or filing of an appeal . '' Relatives of the three who were milling around the High Court could not hide their joy after Mhike told them of Hlatswayo 's ruling .", "question": "For what was he charged with .", "answer": "possessing arms for the purposes of banditry , terrorism and sabotage"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An icy asteroid orbiting the sun between Mars and Saturn is adding credence to theories that Earth 's water was delivered from space , according to a report published in the new issue of the science journal Nature . Two teams of scientists found their evidence when looking at 24 Themis , a asteroid about 479 million kilometers -LRB- 300 million miles -RRB- from the sun , or roughly three times the average distance from Earth to the sun . Using the infrared telescope at Mauna Kea , Hawaii , they were surprised to find not only water on 24 Themis , but organic compounds as well . Asteroids were thought to be devoid of water because they sit too close to the sun , while comets have been the water bearers of the universe because they form farther out in space . `` Astronomers have looked at dozens of asteroids with this technique , but this is the first time we 've seen ice on the surface and organics , '' astronomer Andrew Rivkin of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel , Maryland , told Nature.com . The scientific teams from Johns Hopkins and the University of Central Florida that looked at 24 Themis speculate that the ice may be held in a reservoir under the asteroid 's surface . They speculate that the water is brought to the surface as small bodies in the asteroid belt hit the surface of 24 Themis . The findings on 24 Themis lend weight to the idea that asteroids and comets are the source of Earth 's water and organic material . Geochemists believe that early Earth went through a molten phase that would have removed any organic molecules , meaning any new organic material would have had to come to the planet at a later time , said Humberto Campins at UCF . `` I believe our findings are linked to the origin of life on Earth , '' he added . Scientists now plan to scan the asteroid belt for more evidence of water and organic materials , hoping to determine if 24 Themis is just an interloper -- possibly a comet that got caught in the asteroid belt -- or the first of many water-bearing asteroids that will change the way astronomers look at the solar system . `` The old-fashioned picture of the solar system in which asteroids are asteroids and comets are comets is getting harder to sustain , '' Rivkin said .", "question": "For what reason were asteroids not thought to contain water ?", "answer": "they sit too close to the sun"}, {"story_text": "Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama plans to nominate retired Air Force Lt. Gen. James Clapper to be the new director of national intelligence , a senior U.S. defense official confirmed to CNN Friday . Clapper , now a top Pentagon intelligence official , would replace Dennis Blair , who resigned at the end of last month . The announcement will be made Saturday at the White House , the official said . If confirmed , Clapper will become the nation 's fourth DNI in the last five years . The position was created after the September 2001 terrorist attacks to oversee the 16 agencies of the U.S. intelligence community . Clapper , who retired from the Air Force in 1995 after a 32-year career , served as head of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency from September 2001 to June 2006 . He has served as the under secretary of defense for intelligence since April 2007 . Some political observers have indicated that Clapper 's prospects for confirmation on Capitol Hill , however , are questionable . California Sen. Dianne Feinstein , the Democratic head of the Senate Intelligence Committe , recently said the `` best thing for the U.S. intelligence community is to have someone with a civilian background in charge . '' The ranking Republican on the Intelligence Committe , Missouri Sen. Kit Bond , said he has reservations about Clapper . `` I believe he is too focused on the Defense Department issues and he has tried to block out efforts to give more authority to the DNI , '' Bond said . Bond 's counterpart on the House side , Rep. Pete Hoekstra , R-Michigan , also said he believes Clapper is the wrong person , because he is `` not forthcoming , open or transparent '' with Congress . Blair , a retired admiral , was pressured to resign as DNI because of differences with the White House over the scope of his role and turf wars with CIA Director Leon Panetta and other members of the intelligence community . One source familiar with Blair 's situation said that from the very beginning , `` the White House did not have the same view -LRB- as Blair -RRB- of what the DNI should be . '' That might be the crux of the problem . The law that created the position of DNI after the 9/11 terrorist attacks is too `` ambiguous , '' said Lee Hamiliton , a former congressman who pushed Congress for intelligence reform . Hamilton , the co-chairman of the 9/11 Commission , recently told a congressional hearing that `` the role of the DNI is not clear ... and as long as you have the ambiguity , you 're going to have these agencies fighting for jurisdiction and power . '' The DNI needs to be empowered with the budget and personnel authorities to lead the community , otherwise , the director is merely a coordinator , Hamilton said . Some question whether it is possible to change the law , considering the difficulty Congress had in getting the original agreement . Bond said Congress must act to give the DNI clear budget authority and chain of command within the intelligence community . Feinstein has called on the president to define the DNI role and then work with Congress to make it law . Hamilton said a fix is needed now , that it ca n't wait for the longer-term legislative correction . Hoekstra says changing the law is not the answer . `` If you have great people working together , even in a mediocre structure , they can make things happen . More strengths and authorities in the law does n't guarantee success , '' he said . There does seem to be widespread agreement on one needed component : presidential action in support of the DNI . Hamilton said the `` burden is on the president now to clarify who is in charge of the intelligence community -- where the final authority lies on the budget , personnel and other matters . '' Rep. Bennie Thompson , the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee , recently wrote a letter to Obama urging him `` to remove obstacles which may have formed a stumbling block for others who held the DNI position . '' John Brennan , the president 's chief counterterrorism adviser in the White House , recently said the administration is trying to ensure the intelligence community is `` integrated well and orchestrated well '' by the DNI . `` We want to make sure the DNI 's role is clear and is able to optimize the contributions that the intelligence community makes on a daily basis , '' Brennan said . CNN 's Barbara Starr and Pam Benson contributed to this report", "question": "What is Clapper currently ?", "answer": "the new director of national intelligence"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Despite acknowledgment from the White House a day earlier that a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians is unlikely before a new U.S. president takes office , Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Friday she is confident that ongoing efforts would produce success . Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni , right , and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice speak Thursday . `` Carried to its state of conclusion , it will produce a state of Palestine , '' Rice , referring to negotiations in the wake of last year 's U.S. summit on Israel-Palestinian peace in Annapolis , Maryland , said at a joint news conference with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah , West Bank . Rice is on her eighth trip to the region since the Annapolis summit . On Thursday , White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said the Bush administration does not `` think that it 's likely that it -LRB- a peace agreement -RRB- would happen before the end of the year . '' Rice said Friday that she realizes the lack of a peace agreement in the months following the Annapolis summit had caused some concerns that talks had stalled or might fail , but `` it 's quite the opposite -- the Annapolis process has laid the foundation for the eventual establishment for the state of Palestine . '' The purpose of her current trip , Rice said , was `` to advance the Annapolis process , '' and while she did not speculate on a timetable for the future of the process or offer specifics on peace talks , she added , `` I 've seen them move forward a great deal in the past year . '' Both Israeli and Palestinian officials have expressed doubts about achieving a peace agreement before President Bush leaves office , but until this week U.S. officials had been more optimistic in their public comments . Speaking in Israel on Thursday , Rice blamed part of the inability to secure a deal on recent political changes in Israel , which she noted is `` in the midst of elections . '' With Abbas on Friday , she emphasized that the commitment expressed by Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert when they signed an agreement to work toward a peace deal by the end of 2008 is still strong . `` I hope that the tremendous commitment -LRB- by both sides -RRB- is fully understood , '' Rice said . While Rice did not discuss any impact a new administration in Washington might have on the process , she said , `` The United States really does understand why the Palestinian people want unity . '' Israel in recent months has seen political upheaval . Olmert resigned in September amid allegations of corruption . Kadima Party leader and Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni gave up efforts to form a new coalition government late last month and is seeking to hold early general elections , which could be held in February , Livni 's spokesman has said . Olmert will continue to lead as Israel 's interim prime minister until a successor assumes power either by forming a coalition in the current Knesset or through general elections . However , it is unclear whether he will be able to strike a deal with the Palestinians before Israel forms its new government . Last month , Rice postponed a trip to a Middle East conference because of the global crisis in financial markets .", "question": "The process will result in what ?", "answer": "produce a state of Palestine"}, {"story_text": "-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Explorer Dennis Schmitt found an island nearly two years ago near Greenland . Fishermen pass by Greenland 's Ilulissat fjord in this September 2004 picture . Such a discovery would usually elicit curiosity , even wonder perhaps , but it evoked mixed feelings for the explorer . The island was once thought to be a peninsula attached to Greenland by an ice shelf or a glacier . But such a large amount of ice melted , it revealed the distinct island . `` I very quickly realized two things , '' he told CNN 's Anderson Cooper during a visit to the island earlier this year . `` One -LSB- was -RSB- that this was going to be significant because it was going to be an example of climate change . '' `` The other thing was that it meant it was really happening . It was n't a joke . It was n't just statistics . It was really happening . '' He calls his discovery Warming Island . Many climatologists and scientists say arctic ice melt and other changes in the Earth 's climate are the result of an increase in the world 's temperature , a trend widely called global warming . Many global warming experts say the phenomenon , if unchecked , is capable of altering the world 's climate and geography . In the worst-case scenario , experts say oceans could rise to overwhelming and catastrophic levels , flooding cities and altering seashores . Other scientists and observers , a minority compared to those who believe the warming trend is something ominous , say it is simply the latest shift in the cyclical patterns of a planet 's life . Most of the scientific community believes that some warming is occurring across the globe and through some layers of the atmosphere . But why it is occurring and what that means for the future is scientifically and politically contentious . The Earth 's temperature averages about 60 degrees Fahrenheit -LRB- about 16 degrees Celsius -RRB- . The average surface temperature has warmed one degree Fahrenheit -LRB- 0.6 degrees Celsius -RRB- during the last century , according to the National Research Council . The temperatures were relatively unchanged from 1880 to 1910 , according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency . They rose till about 1945 , cooled until about 1975 and have risen steadily to present day . There are several possible reasons for the warming , scientists say . A change in the Earth 's orbit or the intensity of the sun 's radiation could change , triggering warming or cooling . The reason most cited -- by scientists and scientific organizations -- for the current warming trend is an increase in the concentrations of greenhouse gases , which are in the atmosphere naturally and help keep the planet 's temperature at a comfortable level . The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere , for instance , has increased by 35 percent since the dawn of the industrial age , according to the United Nations ' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change , commonly referred to as the IPCC . The presence of methane is now 151 percent above pre-industrial levels , but the rate of increase has slowed in recent decades , according to the EPA . Meanwhile , nitrous oxide increased by about 18 percent during the past 200 years . Many scientists and experts who have studied global warming believe the increase is primarily the result of human activities , like the burning of fossil fuels , emissions from vehicles and the clearing of forests . `` For the last 30 years , there 's no way there 's anything natural that can explain it , '' Stephen Schneider , a professor of environmental studies at Stanford University in California , said . `` A vast bulk of the knowledgeable and honest community ... will say the science is settled and humans are at least a majority of the reason behind the warming , '' he added . Many scientific organizations share Schneider 's view , ranging from the national academies of the countries that comprise the G8 to the National Research Council , the American Meteorological Society and the American Geophysical Union . But there are those who do not share his view , and among the skeptics is Richard Lindzen , a professor of atmospheric sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology . `` We 've suddenly taken to reading tea leaves , '' he said . `` When we saw cooling from 1940 to 1970 , we were proclaiming global cooling . Since then , there 's been a few tenths of global warming , so we 're proclaiming global warming . '' He believes the current warming trend is the result of natural variability , where a planet goes through phases of warming and cooling and the human contribution to it is minimal . `` The Earth is always getting colder and warmer , '' he said . `` It 's always changing . In fact , this is true of any fluid-covered planet . '' Asked about glacial melt , which many observers point to as evidence of global warming , Lindzen said the way glaciers change and move are phenomena largely unexplained . `` We do n't know why , but it 's perfectly clear that glaciers change even though the temperature is cooling at the place that they 've occurred , '' he said . `` What we 're doing is cherry picking any event that occurs and then saying that 's occurring due to global warming . '' Yet , for Schneider , it is a cause for concern and alarm . `` We 're already in serious melt , nobody can explain it . The models do n't predict it , '' he said . `` We do n't know what 's going on up there . All we know is that we could be triggering something really nasty . '' The greatest point of contention is the possible implications for future political and economic policies for the world 's nations . The IPCC in February 2007 projected that if carbon dioxide levels doubled relative to pre-industrial levels , temperatures could rise between 3.6 to 8.1 degrees Fahrenheit -LRB- 2 to 4.5 degrees Celsius -RRB- by 2100 . The lower end of the range could cause more intense hurricanes , droughts , wildfires and flooding , Schneider said . The higher end could lead to the catastrophes commonly associated with the visions of Hollywood filmmakers . Uncertainties , however , plague such forecasts , which are based on computer simulations and models . The models contemplate factors associated with how the atmosphere , oceans and continents interact , all natural elements that have unpredictability intrinsic to them . `` Exactly how much it 's going to warm up , we do n't know , '' Schneider said . `` That it 's going to warm up ? I 'd bet anything on that . '' E-mail to a friend", "question": "What are causing temperatures to rise ?", "answer": "increase in the concentrations of greenhouse gases"}, {"story_text": "GOLDEN , Colorado -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sometimes the best way to roll with the punches is to roll the dice . Jerry Goldsmith was one of hundreds of people who turned out this week to apply for a casino job . That 's Jerry Goldsmith 's attitude . The Colorado man lost his engineering job of 29 years -- and the six-figure salary that went with it -- and is now applying for a casino job dealing craps , blackjack , roulette and poker . `` I was angry . I think everyone gets angry , '' says Goldsmith , 60 , recalling his New Year 's Day firing . `` It 's ` Why me ? ' But after a while I just learned : One door closed , but many more just opened . `` I just need to find the right one to go into . '' Goldsmith was one of 750 people who showed up Wednesday to apply for casino dealer jobs near Denver . Another 550 applied on Thursday . The applicants were going after 90 spots in dealer school . Earlier on Wednesday , Goldsmith had interviewed for a job as a cable TV installer . They were his first job interviews since losing his job . He says that , at first , he spent a lot of time on the Internet looking for work . He also contacted executive headhunters but was unable to find any leads in the engineering field . So he decided to expand his search into other areas . Goldsmith says he nailed the casino job interview and thinks he would make a great dealer . `` When you 've been working hard all your life , quitting is just not an option , so I 'll take on any opportunity I can , '' he says , adding with a laugh : `` Hopefully there will be some exchange of gratuity in the business so I make something . '' In a November referendum , Colorado voters approved a measure to expand betting limits at casinos in Colorado from $ 5 to $ 100 and to add the games of roulette and craps . The new rules will also allow the casinos to stay open 24 hours a day . They currently close at 2 a.m. and open at 8 a.m. . The state hopes to benefit from the increased tax dollars , a portion of which will help fund community colleges , but before the first new tax dollar goes into state coffers , the casinos need to staff up . `` Twenty-four-hour gaming adds a whole extra shift every day , seven days a week . You 're adding an extra shift in every department of the casino , '' says Jef Bauer , who runs three casinos in Black Hawk , Colorado , for Golden Gaming : the Golden Mardi Gras , Golden Gates and Golden Gulch . `` We 're looking to hire initially about 90 people into our dealer school , which we 're offering free to learn how to deal craps , roulette and blackjack . '' Golden Gaming currently employs about 400 people in Black Hawk and anticipates adding another 100 by July 2 , when the new rules go into effect . Black Hawk is a former mining town tucked into the Rocky Mountains about 35 miles from Denver . Black Hawk and its next-door neighbor , Central City , became casino towns in the 1990s . For years the towns flourished , but Bauer says times are tough now . `` We have just been through 12 months of declines in gaming revenues and head counts , '' he says , adding that he hopes the increased bet limits , new games and extended hours will bring the gamblers back to the tables . Before the hiring event even started , more than 100 people were lined up , waiting for an interview outside of a bar in Golden , Colorado . The would-be croupiers filed in , filled out applications and were assigned a number . They were photographed and then sat down for a 3-minute job interview . No experience was necessary for the casino jobs . Applicants who make the grade will attend a casino-run , part-time dealer school for three months , where they will learn the complicated games and qualify for a Colorado gaming license . The jobs pay between $ 40,000 and $ 80,000 a year , depending on tips . So who would make a good dealer ? `` Mainly what we 're looking at is personality and an ability to entertain , and intelligence that can be proven in dealer school , '' says Bauer . `` Most will probably never have dealt cards before . '' That seems like just the ticket to Andrea Pitts , whose only casino experience has been on the other side of the table . `` I 'm a high roller , '' she says with a laugh . `` I 've never dealt cards before , but I love to play blackjack and I 'm pretty good at it . '' Pitts , 41 , spent 12 years working in the trucking industry . But the bad economy has taken its toll , and now she has been forced to look for any kind of work . Like most of the other casino applicants , she never pictured herself dealing cards . But she says she is ready for the change of pace . `` You have to keep yourself motivated . It would be easy to sit at home and feel sorry for yourself , but that 's not going to get you anywhere , '' she says . `` I 'm not afraid to take challenges -- that 's what life is all about . '' Casinos are big business . According to the American Gaming Association , some 360,000 people work in 467 commercial casinos across the country , accounting for $ 13.8 billion in wages including benefits and tips . The industry paid $ 5.78 billion in gaming taxes in 2007 . Alan Meister , an economist and the author of `` Indian Gaming Industry Report , '' says there were 346,000 people directly employed by 423 Indian gaming casinos in 2007 . State governments often look to casinos as a quick source of tax income in difficult economic times . According to Spectrum Gaming Group , a consulting firm that monitors the gaming industry , at least 15 states have recently expanded or are currently considering expanding gambling . See a map of states looking to expand gaming '' It all sounds good to Craig Taylor . He spent 13 years in the real estate business , buying and selling investment properties . He says that when the industry was booming he was making a salary in the `` low six figures , '' drove a new BMW and lived in a house in the tony Cherry Creek section of Denver . But since the market tanked , he has been making adjustments . He sold the BMW and bought a used 2001 Jeep . He sold the house in Cherry Creek and bought a smaller house on the outskirts of Denver . Now all he needs is a job , and he thinks being a casino dealer might be a good fit . `` Real estate was a great job , great income , '' he says . `` But you have to do what you have to do in this economy and make the adjustments to where the job you have pays the bills . ''", "question": "What amount will dealers make ?", "answer": "between $ 40,000 and $ 80,000 a year"}, {"story_text": "LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A 47-year-old charity worker who says she has never been kissed is now a YouTube sensation after a singing performance that wowed the notoriously harsh talent judge Simon Cowell . The YouTube video of Susan Boyle 's performance has had more than 5 million hits . Susan Boyle , from West Lothian in Scotland , appeared on the television show `` Britain 's Got Talent '' last weekend with an inauspicious start . Slightly plump and with short brown curly hair , Boyle stood somewhat uncomfortably in the middle of the stage wearing a gold lace sheath . She told the judges and the audience of the show that she was single , she lived with her cat , Pebbles , and she had never been kissed . `` I 'm trying to be a professional singer , '' Boyle asserted , as the audience laughed . `` I 'm going to make that audience rock . '' When she added that she wanted to be as famous as Elaine Paige , who 's been called the `` first lady of British musical theater , '' some members of the audience snickered and rolled their eyes . But after Boyle sang the first few notes of `` I Dreamed a Dream '' from the musical `` Les Miserables , '' the audience erupted in wild cheers and applause , and two of the three judges ' jaws dropped . The applause lasted the length of her performance , which ended with the crowd on its feet . Cowell , who also serves as a judge on `` American Idol '' and who 's known for his stinging criticism of those he deems to have no talent , said Boyle 's performance was fantastic . `` I knew the minute you walked out on that stage that we were going to hear something extraordinary , '' he proclaimed . His fellow judge , Piers Morgan , said it was `` the biggest surprise I have had in three years on this show . '' `` When you stood there , with that cheeky grin , and said , ' I want to be like Elaine Paige ' everyone was laughing at you . No one is laughing now . That was stunning . An incredible performance , '' Morgan said , adding he was reeling from shock . Amanda Holden , the third judge , had tears in her eyes and described Boyle 's singing as `` a privilege to hear . '' A clip of her performance on YouTube.com has had more than 5 million hits , and many fans say they were moved to tears by the story . Boyle said after the show that she felt `` bloody fantastic . '' Each of the three judges voted `` yes '' to Boyle 's return to the actual competition round of the show . The performance this weekend came during the auditions .", "question": "Who is Simon Cowell ?", "answer": "notoriously harsh talent judge"}, {"story_text": "WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Barack Obama 's presidential transition , already disrupted by the sudden withdrawal of New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson , may face another challenge in the confirmation hearings of his pick for attorney general . Eric Holder likely will face a grueling round of questions from Republicans during his confirmation hearings . While the Senate is expected to easily confirm the majority of the president-elect 's Cabinet appointments , it increasingly appears that attorney general designate Eric Holder could face a grueling round of questions next week from Senate Republicans who are already emboldened by charges of `` pay-to-play '' politics against Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and a federal investigation into Richardson , who Obama picked as his commerce secretary . `` Republicans are seeing enough different stories in the taints of possible corruption around Democratic politicians lately , '' said Alexander Keyssar , a professor of history and social policy at the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government . `` Where they can score some political points around this corruption issue , they will try to do it . '' Holder has drawn heavy criticism from Republicans over his involvement in former President Bill Clinton 's last-minute pardon of Mark Rich , a major Democratic donor and billionaire financier charged with federal tax evasion . Clinton pardoned Rich in the final hours of his administration on January 20 , 2001 . Holder was a deputy attorney general at the time . Senate Democrats have long braced for a tough committee hearing over Holder , especially after Republicans successfully delayed its start to obtain more time to review his lengthy record in both the public and private sector . But after Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter , the judiciary committee 's ranking Republican , unexpectedly took to the Senate floor Tuesday to castigate Holder over a wide range of issues -- even comparing him to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales who was forced to resign -- Democrats may have to brace for a tougher fight than they expected . `` President-elect Obama chose not to seek my advice or even to give me advance notice in my capacity as ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee , '' Specter said . `` Had he done so , I could have given him some facts about Mr. Holder 's background that he might not have known . '' Stephen Hess , a presidential scholar at the Brookings Institution , said it 's not surprising Republicans are targeting a particular appointment . `` There always seems to be one appointee where the Senate opposition directs its firepower , '' Hess said . `` This year the designated fall guy seems to be Eric Holder . He 's going to be made to grovel . '' Holder played a significant role in the heavily criticized Rich pardon , having communicated with Rich 's lawyers frequently before it was issued , according to the New York Times . Critics have charged that the Justice Department should have blocked the pardon , and Holder later said he wished he had handled the matter differently . Supporters of Holder say his role in the pardon was limited , but Senate Republicans , seemingly eager for at least one high-profile fight with the incoming president , are set to put the Rich pardon front-and-center when his Judiciary Committee hearing kicks off next week . For a Republican Party still reeling from a demoralizing Election Day , Holder 's hearing will likely be the GOP 's first chance to put heat on the president-elect in a very public way , and in the process demonstrate that it intends to stand up to the new administration despite its minority status . `` With Holder they are going to look to score some points on the evening news , '' Keyssar said . But the Rich matter is only one issue on which Republicans plan to grill Holder . Also at issue , according to Republicans , will be Holder 's involvement with the Elian Gonzalez case and potential conflicts of interests with his work over the past eight years with a corporate law firm . `` There are going to be some tough questions that Holder will have to answer , '' a Senate Republican aide said . `` We want to have a fair , open discussion for his qualifications for the job . '' Republicans say they are not specifically looking to block Holder 's nomination , and the GOP would be unable to do so even if it tried given the Democrats ' overwhelming majority in the Senate . `` We do n't want to be obstructionist . It 's not a partisan thing , it 's about examining his qualifications to be No. 1 at Justice , '' the Republican aide said . Still , the opposition party often claims victory when it mounts a sizeable resistance to a particular nominee , as 42 Democrats did in 2001 to President Bush 's first attorney general , John Ashcroft . But Obama can ultimately take solace in the fact that a new president 's Cabinet appointments are rarely held up in the Senate , no matter which party controls the chamber . According to the U.S. Senate Web site , the Senate has confirmed 98 percent of all Cabinet appointments since 1798 . In fact , the Senate has n't rejected any cabinet pick for nearly 20 years . It last rejected John Tower , former President George H.W. Bush 's pick for defense secretary , in 1989 . Republicans also know that at a time when Americans expect Congress to confront the country 's ongoing financial crisis and recent flare-ups abroad , it might be in their interest not to delay confirmation of several important posts or appear overly partisan when it comes to confirming the majority of the president-elect 's appointments . `` When these things get bad , it delays the whole process , '' Hess said . `` By the time the person finally gets the person he wants it 's March . Republicans do n't want this to happen . ''", "question": "What you can say about Marc Rich ?", "answer": "Clinton pardoned"}]